


The Girl Next Door

by Kamaro0917



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alpha!cass, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anna's thirsty, Awkwardness, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Girl Penis, Useless Lesbians, beta!Anna, elsa is a gay disaster, everyone is pretty gay, jock!Cass, kinda OOC, nerd!Elsa, no powers, omega!Elsa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:47:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 36,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23344198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamaro0917/pseuds/Kamaro0917
Summary: Elsa was hoping that college would help her get over her high school crush, but it seems that fate had different plans for her. Will she finally make her move or will she just continue to watch from afar?
Relationships: Cassandra/Elsa (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 114
Kudos: 198





	1. Chapter 1

“Elsa! Earth to Elsa!”

Elsa’s icy sapphire eyes quickly came back into focus as she was rudely pulled back to reality. She subconsciously adjusted her glasses, a nervous tic she had developed in middle school. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Aurora giggled and nudged her friend with her shoulder. “You were daydreaming again.”

“Let me guess, my sister was thinking of a certain tall, dark and completely unavailable alpha again?” Anna joined the two women on the grassy quad, enjoying the late summer warmth. “Seriously, Elsa, you’ve been pining over her since high school. I don’t get what you see in her. I mean, yeah, she’s totally cool and popular - “

“And of course there’s that delicious alpha sex appeal” Aurora interjected.

Anna winked at her friend “But sometimes you just gotta let it go. You know, I thought college was going to help you get out of that rut.”

Elsa blushed furiously. Just thinking of sharing a rut with the alpha of her dreams made her thighs clench. She quickly deflected attention away from herself. “Easy for you to say. You know, you’re lucky you’re both betas. You can screw around with pretty much anyone you want without consequence and not have to endure these stupid heats.”

“And halle-fucking-lujah for that. Am I right or am I right?” Anna grinned and high fived the other blonde, “Speaking of, how are you and Prince Charming getting along, Aurora?”

“His name is Phillip, not Prince Charming. Big difference. And I mean a _big_ difference.” Aurora grinned, “Otherwise he’s alright, but to be honest, conversations with a box of rocks would be more enlightening.”

Elsa snorted “That sounds horrible. Why are you still with him?”

“Because he’s cute and the sex is just so good!”

“You’re basing your whole relationship on looks and sex?”

“Says the girl who _still_ has a crush on her high school love interest.” Aurora shot back “I mean, have you even talked with her? Do you have anything in common? What do you even know about her other than the fact that she played basketball and was the only lady alpha on the football team?”

“Not just the football team. Quarterback.” Elsa corrected. 

“That’s not helping your argument.” Aurora quipped.

“Don't forget that she dated the cheerleading captain. I mean, how cliche can you get?!” Anna rolled her eyes and flopped on the grass, her arms folded behind her head. “I mean, at least Rapunzel had a brain in there, too, not just a tits and ass show. I mean, they were lovely, if I do say so myself. I’d hit that.”

Elsa smacked her sister on the shoulder, “Ugh, you’re so crass! Sometimes I wonder how I’m even related to you.”

Anna grinned and rolled over on her side, propped up on an elbow “I never thought I’d have to explain this to a 21 year old. When an alpha loves an omega, they…”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” Elsa hissed.

Anna rolled her eyes, undeterred by her sister's warning. “They come together and make sweet, sweet, hot, passionate...”

Elsa pounced on her sister, shoving her hand over her mouth to get her to stop. Unfortunately that left Aurora unguarded. 

“And then when the time is right, that omega takes the alpha’s knot like a champ… and voila!”

Elsa groaned “you two are the worst.” She yelped as something warm and wet slid across her palm and she quickly retracted her hand “oh my god, you are an animal!”

Anna laughed, her tongue still out from licking Elsa’s hand. “You put yourself in front of the firing squad! You knew the risks…”

Elsa huffed and wiped the spit on the grass, “You are absolutely disgusting. Find someone else to torment, I need to get to class.” She jumped up and grabbed her messenger bag, storming across the lawn, Anna and Aurora’s peals of laughter ringing in her ears. 

Elsa’s blood was still boiling, even after her ten minute walk to the Engineering and Physical Sciences building. In her frustration, she shoved the door open, maybe a little too hard. The door met sudden resistance and she heard a loud “Ooft!” and the loud thumps of several books falling on the other side.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Elsa squeaked and hurried around the door to check on whoever she just hit. The blonde stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who it was. 

Steel grey eyes met icy blue in a moment of thick, awkward tension.

“Cassandra, I’m… I didn’t mean…” Elsa stammered. 

“You really should be more careful, Arens. You could hurt someone.” Cassandra huffed, kneeling to pick her books up from the ground.

Elsa nodded dumbly as she watched the dark haired woman, her heart thundering in her chest “Right... yep… I should.” 

“Yeah and thanks for helping me pick up the books you knocked out of my hands.” Cassandra stood up. Elsa was fairly tall but Cassandra had almost 4 inches on her, putting her around the 6 foot mark, if not slightly over. Elsa had never been close enough to realize, she had always just admired from afar.

Elsa looked up “I’m sorry… I was in a rush and being totally inconsiderate. Are you okay?” She shrank in on herself, shoulders hunched submissively. 

“It’s fine, I’m pretty tough, you know. You caught me off guard, that’s all. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t hear the end of it if word got out that I got bested by a door.”

Elsa looked up again, nervously fingering her glasses, noting the sudden shift in the alpha's tone. _Was Cassandra making a joke?_ “Yeah, I know… I mean, I watched all of your games in high school.”

Cassandra furrowed her brow, unsure of what to make of Elsa’s statement. 

“I mean… I was in the band… we were required to be there. God, now I sound like a stalker… I’ll just… I gotta go.”

Cassandra snorted softly, “Alright, later, Stalker.”

Elsa all but ran away, her cheeks were burning hot and she wanted to cry or throw up. Possibly both.


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa tried to pay attention in class but after her encounter with Cassandra, thermodynamics was the last thing on her mind. She sat in the back of the classroom, quietly texting Anna about the horrific turn of events. 

“Miss Arens, I’m not interrupting you am I, dahling?”

Elsa’s eyes shot up at the tiny woman currently glaring daggers at her “No, sorry Dr. Mode.”

“Phone away then, if you please.”

“Yes ma’am.” She mumbled, turning on airplane mode and tucking her phone in her pocket. She listened as the professor droned on about heat transfer through various substances. Normally this would have fascinated her, but her mind kept floating to more important things. Namely, Cassandra. Maybe Anna and Aurora were right. She was way too invested in this woman who clearly had no interest in her. It _was_ unhealthy. Her mind wandered, trying to pinpoint when exactly this crush began.

Elsa had been Cassandra’s neighbor since they were 8, when Cassandra’s family moved in next door. She had always been curious about the girl next door but was too shy to ask her for a play date, which led to Cassandra finding different friends. She didn’t realize that she was ‘interested’ in her until middle school, but by then it was too late. Shortly after that revelation, she presented as an omega, and as such she was sent to a different school, for omegas only. It was to protect them from the raging hormones, both their own and others, and teach them to control their urges, what to do during their heats, and essentially, how to not end up as a teenager with a pup to care for. When she came back for high school, she hardly recognized Cassandra.

All through high school, Cassandra was breaking school records and making quite a name for herself, not only on the basketball court but the football field as well. She was the alpha that everyone wanted to be with. At first it sickened Elsa, watching so many betas and omegas practically throwing themselves at Cassandra’s feet. But disgust slowly turned to envy. At least _they_ had the nerve to approach her, unlike herself. But even if she had found the nerve to talk to the alpha, Cassandra had a girlfriend, and not just any girlfriend. Rapunzel. Not only was Rapunzel the cheerleading captain, she was also the heiress to Corona Tech, the solar power super company. And to the best of her knowledge, Cassandra never cheated. Not once. Why would she? She had it all! No, Cassandra was unavailable, untouchable, honorable, loyal and true. Which somehow made her even more desirable and Elsa just continued to admire her from afar, setting the woman on a pedestal so high she might as well have been a goddess.

Cassandra and Rapunzel, or Cassunzel as people joked, were the school’s power couple, popular beyond belief. Prom Royalty both junior and senior year. They weren’t necessarily ‘loud’ (maybe Rapunzel, she was the cheer captain, after all) but they both had a natural charisma and presence that made people listen and watch the moment they entered the room. Everyone thought that they would exchange their mating bites after high school, so it was juicy gossip when the two called it off the summer before college.

Elsa, on the other hand, was the polar opposite. She was soft spoken. A band geek. She preferred to stay out of the spotlight and was content to be a wallflower, often eating her lunch alone in the physics room. She wasn’t a complete loner, or course, and had a small group of friends, mostly other geeks and nerds who had banded together for support, not just from the general high school bullies, but also omega solidarity. Milo, who was convinced he was a wizard and ran the Dungeons and Dragons club. Miguel was another member of the school marching band. Tadashi, who Elsa was convinced would have the next big technological breakthrough before he graduated college. And Belle, the quiet bookworm, often overlooked but extremely intelligent. 

Elsa had never been more grateful to be done with high school. She had applied to colleges around the country but settled on Disney U, a large university in the heart of Boston. It was a nice change of pace from what she was used to. Boston was a big city with a small town feel, which made Elsa feel more comfortable, having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago. This was her chance to spread her wings. Be free and move on. The odds of ever running into Cassandra again were slim to none. So when she saw the raven-haired goddess of her dreams on campus she literally dropped everything she was carrying and screamed. Internally, of course. And maybe a little externally. She had tried to recover by saying she saw a bee and she was deathly allergic.

“Ahem, Miss Arens, do you have a question?”

Elsa blinked, pulled from her daydream, her eyes quickly settled on the tiny professor with oversize glasses and a black bob currently invading her personal space. “Oh, sorry, no professor…” she stammered and quickly gathered her books, adjusting her glasses. The room was empty.

“Tsk tsk, dahling, you need to figure out whatever is bothering you. Oh, and don’t come to me when you’re missing notes. You know I don’t like repeating myself.” Dr. Mode spun on her heel and walked out of the classroom, her feet moving impossibly fast for her size.

Elsa groaned and looked up at the ceiling before pulling her phone out of her pocket. 17 missed messages, all from her sister. She quickly scrolled through the one sided conversation, most was a mix of random emojis and berating her for being such a klutz. The last text caught her eye.

**Anna [2:47pm]** \- “Buckle up, sis, we’re going out tonight. I just caught wind of a party and we’re crashing it.”


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa had gone to a few parties in her time at college, but just like in high school, she preferred to study and keep to herself. But she had thought long and hard about what Aurora and Anna had said, and she thought a distraction might be nice. It could help her move on from the alpha she was trying desperately to forget. And she was of drinking age, even though she was not a big drinker, but maybe a beer would loosen her up. She was even willing to look the other way that Anna was only 20. But she knew her younger sister probably had a fake ID anyway, so she couldn’t stop the redhead even if she tried. 

She looked in her full length mirror as she held up different shirts, trying to figure out what to wear. She had never been a particularly ‘girly’ girl, that was all Anna, the heels and skirts… Elsa’s style was more subdued, usually just jeans and a t-shirt, her trusty Converse sneakers.

“Nope. You’re not going to go to this party like the wallflower you are. You’re gonna make a statement!” Anna burst into her room without knocking.

“ANNA! I’m not decent!” Elsa squeaked, covering herself with the shirts in her hands. 

“What? You’re covered! You’re wearing underwear! I’m pretty sure most swimsuits show more skin than those granny panties!”

“They are not granny panties! Ugh…” Elsa huffed but knew that arguing was pointless “Fine. What did you have in mind?”

Anna smirked “Aurora! Come on in, coast is clear!”

Aurora came bounding in, her arms full of clothes that Elsa would have never let herself be caught dead in. Everything was brightly colored and from what Elsa could tell it looked like most things had been made with only half the fabric they should have been. 

“How I ended up with you two as roommates is beyond me.” Elsa groaned and picked up a skirt.

“Well, I found you wandering aimlessly on campus your freshman year and we became the best of friends!” Aurora grinned, rifling through the pile for a shirt to go with the piece Elsa was holding.

“I was not! I distinctly recall that being the other way around” Elsa snapped back with a smile.

“And you’re just stuck with me.” Anna grinned and laid back on the bed, settling in on Elsa’s pillows, watching as the others went through outfit after outfit. She knew that two was company but three was a crowd when it came to picking clothes, so she stayed out of it and let Aurora work her magic.

“Oooh, I like this one! Try it on!” Aurora shoved a blue tank top into Elsa’s hands. 

Elsa groaned and pulled it on. It was pretty skimpy, with sequins around the straps and lining the top and bottom, the neckline plunged deep, revealing what little cleavage she had. “I don’t know about this…”

“Elsa, come on, we’re just trying to get you noticed!”

“Noticed is one thing, but I do not want to look like… I don’t know. Desperate? Trying too hard? Besides, I won’t have fun if I’m uncomfortable.”

“Fine. Compromise then. You wear the top and you can keep your jeans and sneakers.”

Elsa nodded slowly, it was probably the best deal she would get in this situation. Otherwise she might be stuck with some black pleather skirt that showed the bottom of her butt. And that was not happening. And she was tired of being dressed like a lifesize Barbie.

Anna sat up and scooted off the bed, switching spots with Aurora “Okay, great, clothes are done. Time for your hair!”

Elsa glared at her “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Well, you kinda give off the librarian look. And not the hot and sexy kind.” Anna continued, undeterred by the icy glares directed at her.

Elsa looked at the ceiling for a moment to calm herself “Okay. Fine. But don’t make me look like a floozy. I feel silly enough in this shirt.”

"A 'floozy?' Wow... sometimes _I_ wonder how we're sisters..." Anna rolled her eyes and quickly pulled the platinum blonde locks out of the tight bun. “Hmmm… I’m thinking… maybe a messy braid? What do you think, Rory?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s good. Sophisticated, yet fun!” Aurora giggled from the bed.

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.” Anna pushed Elsa down to sit at her vanity and her nimble fingers got to work.

The three roommates made their way to the neighborhood across campus, Anna and Aurora giggling and gossiping among themselves, Elsa trying very hard to keep herself moving forward and not running back to the safety of her room. She stared at the ground as she walked, not particularly paying attention to her surroundings. She gasped when she saw the house they were standing in front of.

“Wait, you didn’t mention that this was a sorority party!”

“Oh, did we forget to mention that?” Aurora cooed, teasingly

“Yeppp… we know your preferences. Tonight you’re gonna feast on all the lady alpha you could want, dear sister.” Anna grinned, nudging Elsa with her elbow.

Elsa’s stomach was now somewhere in her throat as she was practically dragged up the stairs.

“Okay, before we go in, we need to talk safety. These parties can get a little out of control, so precautions.” Aurora started until Anna jumped in.

“First! No accepting random drinks. If someone wants to give you a drink, you make sure you see them pour it or open the bottle.”

“You guys know I’ve been to parties before, right? I’m not a child.” Elsa crossed her arms over her chest.

Aurora sighed “Fine… we just worry about you.”

“And I love you both for it. But the longer we stay out here the more likely I am to chicken out. Let’s just get this over with."

Anna grinned and pushed the door open.


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa’s senses were instantly overloaded the moment the door opened. And she hadn’t even crossed the threshold. The sounds, the scents, the neon lights spilled out through the door. “I don’t think I can do this…”

“Come on, Elsa! We’re not going to force you if you don’t want, but it’s gonna be great! No better way to get over a girl!” Aurora chirped.

Elsa nodded, sighed, and took her first step in. 

Elsa looked around, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the dark lights and flashing glow sticks and wristbands. The music was pounding so hard that it rattled her internal organs. Her nose was bombarded by scents. The air was heavy with lust, sweat, excitement. Alphas. Betas. Omegas. All mingled together. It was hot, oppressive, almost suffocating.

There were so many people already inside. Some were mingling together along the walls, flirting and laughing. Others had taken to the busy dance floor, bodies packed tightly together, grinding and moving together in the dark. Elsa did not like being touched by strangers and she did her best to skirt around the edges of the room. If she was going to subject herself to this, then she at least needed a drink.

Elsa found the kitchen and quickly pulled a beer bottle out of the cooler, opening it herself and taking a big swig. The kitchen was gratefully less busy and she stood quietly against the wall, watching people come and go.

She held the beer in one hand, the other arm was wrapped over her bare midriff. She was cursing herself for allowing her friend and sister to talk her into this. She wished she had a jacket or something to cover herself up.

“Mmm… someone find me a glass cuz I just found me a tall drink of water…”

Elsa groaned quietly when she heard the cheesy pick up line. She turned in the direction of the voice and immediately stiffened. She was looking at a man leaning against the wall next to her, his hip cocked to the side in a nonchalant yet dominant pose. His auburn hair had been carefully tousled in deliberate messy look and he had the most ridiculous sideburns she had ever seen. His features were sharp and pointed, his eyes dark and ominous. Everything about him screamed danger. His aggressive alpha scent, laced with copious amounts of alcohol, immediately flooded her nose, almost overpowering her. She cleared her throat and held her breath. “With the amount you’ve clearly consumed, you should definitely hydrate. The sink is over there.” she gestured with her chin.

“Oh, you got some fire don’t you, eh? All the better, I like ‘em feisty. Lady on the streets but a freak in the sheets, I’ll bet.” He winked slyly “The name’s Hans, by the way.”

“That’s nice. But I suggest you try elsewhere, I have no intention of being anywhere near your sheets.” Elsa bit back.

“Come on, baby, shutting me down without even giving me a chance?”

“No.” Elsa took a step to the side, scooting away from him. But the look on his eye told her that he was not about to back down. He was looking at her like a wolf stalking its prey.

“I could rock your world. Just one night and you’ll come crawling to me every heat...” Hans lifted a hand as if to stroke her cheek. By now he was pumping out pheromones, trying to sway her decision.

“I said no!” Elsa straightened up, trying to resist the scents that were assaulting her.

Hans leaned forward but his advance was stopped by a sudden hand on his shoulder. “She said no, scumbag. Now back off.” Elsa heard a woman’s voice but she was too fixated on Hans to look.

Hans glared at the hand, weighing out his options. Without another word he huffed and straightened his shirt as he spun on his heel and stalked away. 

Elsa watched him warily, an uneasy feeling settled deep in her stomach. She had the feeling that this would not be the last time she saw this ‘Hans.’

“You okay there?”

Elsa blinked and turned to look at the new person. It was a young woman, her age, maybe a little younger. She had a mess of unruly black curls, soft brown eyes. She was wearing simple jeans and a black tank top, which showed off her arm muscles. Elsa gulped as she studied the traditional Polynesian style tattoos that spread from her shoulder down her right arm in a quarter sleeve.

“I am now, thanks. That creep wasn’t taking no for an answer.” Elsa sighed, feeling more relaxed.

“Yeah, some of these jerks just think they can take whoever they want like it’s their damn birthright as an alpha.”

Elsa paused, taking a quick sniff “But you’re an alpha…”

“Yeah, but I also follow girl code, too. We gotta look out for one another. And just so you know, not all alphas are like that.” the woman shrugged “Name’s Moana.”

“Elsa.” she responded with a smile.

“Well, Elsa... Some of my friends and I are hanging out back, if you want to join us. Safety in numbers, right?”

Elsa nodded slowly, touching her glasses again “Let me grab another beer first but yeah, that sounds good.”

Moana nodded “Yeah, I was on a beer run myself. Let’s get a couple extra for the gals.”

Elsa was actually enjoying herself. It was much quieter out back, there was a fire pit with a decent flame going for warmth. Moana had introduced her to Mulan and Merida. It turned out that Moana and Merida met on the rugby team, and Mulan was a martial arts master. Elsa felt a little self conscious about her distinct lack of muscle compared to the others. The conversation was comfortable and light, the others talked about sports quite a bit but they pulled Elsa into the conversation when they could, though Elsa was content to just listen.

Moana perked up a little and tossed a can of beer over Elsa’s shoulder. “Well, well, well… look what the cat dragged in… Glad you made it, Knight.”

Elsa froze when she heard the last name.  _ Please don’t be her, please don’t be her, please don’t be her. Knight is a common last name, right _ ?

“Hey ladies, sorry I’m late.” 

Elsa coughed on her beer.  _ Oh, fuck. _


	5. Chapter 5

Cassandra cracked her beer and took a swig before she noticed Elsa. She shot her a sideways smirk at the blonde. “You’re not doing a very good job convincing me you’re not stalking me.”

Elsa was certain she was bright red, which certainly was not helped by the red glow of the fire. She was doing her best not to ogle. Cassandra was dressed in simple jeans and her basketball sweatshirt, Knight and the number 7 were printed on the back, but Elsa thought she looked amazing standing tall in the fire light. “Well… I was here first. So maybe _you’re_ stalking me.”

Moana looked between them “You two know each other?”

Cassandra nodded “You could say we ran into each other… Didn’t think I’d see you at a place like this.”

Elsa blushed again “Oh, yeah, my friends brought me out…”

“You shoulda seen her, Knight, like a sheep in a den of wolves. I sent Westergaard running with his tail between his legs.” Moana giggled.

Elsa wanted to die on the spot out of embarrassment, shivering at the memory.

“Good.” Cassandra nodded stiffly and pulled off her sweatshirt, revealing a black and red checkered flannel button up underneath, and handed it over to Elsa, who looked like a deer in headlights “You look cold and I’m going inside, don’t make a big deal out of it. Besides, I’m sure I’ll run into you soon. Give it back then.”

Elsa blushed furiously “Oh, thanks” murmured as she pulled on the sweatshirt. It was too big, but Elsa was ridiculously content and warm, and not just from Cassandra’s residual body heat, and was trying really hard not to openly smell it. Cassandra’s scent was intoxicating and she couldn’t get enough.

“Wow…” Merida murmured

“Wow what?” Elsa raised an eyebrow

“Oh, nothing…” Merida shrugged it off.

Elsa enjoyed the rest of her night with this unlikely group of people she had met, glad that the small group seemed to be more than content to stay out of the actual party. She accompanied Merida to help with another beer run to the kitchen, not taking any chances if Hans was still around. On the way she ran into Aurora and Anna and told them where she was and who she was with, not mentioning her brief encounter with Cassandra. The two seemed satisfied with her response and headed back to the dance floor.

Around midnight, she figured it was time to head home and she pulled out her phone to call a Lyft. It wasn’t far, she could have easily walked the distance, but she didn’t want to be wandering around alone at night.

“What are you doing?” Moana looked over.

“I should be getting home, it’s getting late.” Elsa shrugged

Mulan snickered quietly but didn’t say anything.

Merida piped in “Well, we were going to go to the Waffle House, get a midnight snack. You want to come?”

“Knight will be there, if you were wondering. She never misses a chance for midnight pancakes and bacon.” Moana teased gently.

Elsa paused “I would, but I shouldn’t. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Well, suit yourself. Let’s all get a Lyft and we can drop you off first, that way we know you get home safe, yeah?” Merida offered.

Elsa nodded her agreement. “Thank you. That would be really nice.” 

Fifteen minutes later, the four women piled into the Lyft and took off into the dark streets of Boston. 

Elsa was already out of the car and watching the tail lights disappear down the street when she realized that she was still wearing Cassandra’s sweatshirt. At least she had an excuse to seek her out on campus. She hurried into the house, texted Anna and Aurora to let them know she was home and collapsed on her bed, still wrapped up in the soft scent of the alpha, her mind swimming with the events of the evening. 

Elsa was barely asleep when she heard Anna and Aurora return, laughing loudly as they stumbled around in the dark, still a little tipsy. She groaned when she felt the bed shift as both roommates belly flopped on the mattress next to her. 

“Hey, sisssss… ya have a fun time?” Anna was slurring her words a little.

“Couldn’t this have waited until morning?” Elsa snapped, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to shake these two without at least a few minutes of torment.

“Hmm, this is new!” Aurora picked at the sleeve of the sweatshirt “Why doesn’t it… Oh my god! Why are you wearing her sweatshirt!?”

“Whaaaa?” Anna sat up, suddenly looking much more alert, though she was swaying a little.

“It’s nothing. I was cold because you guys convinced me to leave the house in the smallest of shirts and she was just being nice!”

"More like markin' her terrrritory. Coverin you up so no one else can see that smokin body you try to hide..."

“Yeah, okay, I get that… but why are you still wearing it?” Aurora pointed out. “The whole point of this night was to help you get over her, not end up swimming in her scent. Which…” she pressed her nose to the fabric “Oh… she does smell good… starting to see why you’re so obsessed.”

Elsa growled defensively before she realized what she was doing “I am _not_ obsessed!”

“Sure sis… keep tellin’ yourse-” Anna fell over on the bed, fast asleep before she finished her sentence, snoring loudly.

Aurora laid down on the other side “Guess it’s a sleepover kind of night then.”

Elsa rolled her eyes and flopped down on her pillows. What a night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone take cover! Cassandra has a feeling.

“Raps, thanks for coming over. I don’t know what to do.” Cassandra growled as she paced around her apartment. There was no need for her to answer the door, Rapunzel still had a key.

“No problem, Cass, you’re my best friend and I’m here whenever you need me.” Rapunzel stepped inside and immediately sensed that Cassandra was distressed, her usually confident scent hung heavy with uncertainty, bitter and acidic. It made her wrinkle her nose.

“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” 

“That’s just it! I don’t know where the beginning is!” Cassandra flailed her arms a little.

Rapunzel took Cassandra’s hand and pulled her gently into the kitchen, sitting her down on a stool at the island and grabbed two San Pelligrinos from the fridge. “Well, you could start by telling me who it is that has your boxers in a bunch…” she teased lightly.

Cassandra rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink “You remember the Arens sisters? From high school?”

Rapunzel knitted her brows together as she thought “Yeah, Anna was on the squad with me, year below us, right? What was her sister’s name? Elise?”

“Elsa.” Cassandra corrected, nodding her head slightly.

“Right… Wait… you’re crushing on Elsa Arens? Well, that’s certainly not what I expected you to say!” Rapunzel wiggled excitedly “I don’t remember much about her… she kept to herself, right? Hung out with that brunette bookworm?”

“Yeah… but I don’t know. She’s changed since high school. But she’s still the same?”

Rapunzel giggled loudly at that. “For all that big, strong alpha image you try to uphold, you can be so dense sometimes, Cass. Careful, keep this up and you’ll be feeding into that dumb jock stereotype.”

Cassandra growled defensively at her, a warning.

“I just mean, you do know that people change over time, right? Just look at us.” 

Cassandra shrugged “Yeah… There was a time that I wanted nothing more than to give you a pup… thank god we saw sense.”

Rapunzel giggled “True, we’re much better off as friends. Plus it doesn’t hurt that we can help each other out through our respective heat or rut if needed… but I still think you would be absolutely adorable with your kids. Them crawling all over you as you try to watch TV… I would pay big money to watch you try to change a diaper.”

“Ugh, you aren’t going to let that go are you?” Cassandra rolled her eyes.

“Okay, fine, fine… So you suddenly have a crush on this girl and you have no idea what to do?”

“Pretty much… I mean, I’ve only run into her a few times. The first time she actually hit me with a door. I was a jerk at first but then I caught her scent and I don’t know, something inside me snapped… and then she was at the party at the Tri-Pi house on Friday, hanging out with Moana and the others... ”

“Did you stay out with them?”

“I… no… I ran and hid inside.” Cassandra hung her head slightly “I was… I just froze up! But I gave her my sweatshirt.”

Rapunzel raised her eyebrow “Random… what made you think of that?”

“She was cold!” Cassandra huffed “And kinda scantily clad. I just… I didn’t want other people looking at her like she was something to eat. And Moana said that Westergaard was making moves on her… And you know when he sets his sights on someone he can be relentless...” she clenched her fists at the thought. “My alpha almost lost it, I  _ had _ to protect her.”

“Cass… Cass… Calm down. It’s okay, he didn’t do anything.” Rapuznel started pumping out a soothing omega scent to calm the alpha.

“Yeah, I know…” Cassandra sighed. “I’m good, I’m in control. So, do you know what’s wrong with me?”

Rapunzel gave her a soft, knowing smile “Yes, Cassandra. You’ve got feelings for her but you don’t know if those feelings are reciprocated.”

“I don’t follow.”

“You’re such a pup sometimes. Look, ever since you presented as an alpha, everyone’s been making advances on you, trying to gain your favor. But now? Now you’ve got a crush on someone who might not even be interested in return. There’s an uncertainty now.”

Cassandra blinked as Rapunzel’s words sunk in. 

“Well, guess what, Cass. Welcome to how it feels for everyone else.”

Cassandra opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to think of what to say. “Ugh… so feelings… I hate it.” 

Rapunzel giggled “Yup! Feelings. Can’t run from them any more.”

“Fine. So what should I do? Merida said that Elsa mentioned that she doesn’t date alphas. Something about being worried about power imbalance in the relationship and not wanting to be objectified or viewed just as a piece of ass to fuck during a rut.”

“So, you’re telling me she has standards and a sense of dignity, that’s good. A woman after my own heart.”

“I guess… so…” Cassandra eyed her friend expectantly.

“Isn’t it obvious? You show her you’re not like the other alphas. I mean,  _ I  _ know you aren’t, but  _ she  _ doesn’t. Show her who you really are. Let her in.”

Cassandra sighed and dropped her head on the counter “Fuck.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next stop... Cassandra struggle busssssss!

Cassandra thought long and hard about her talk with Rapunzel. She had to admit, maybe Rapunzel was right. She supposed that she _might_ come across as cold and standoffish. But that was more a reflection of her own insecurities than how she actually viewed others. She had always held herself to exceptionally high standards so it seemed that no one else was good enough or she thought she was better than everyone else. It made her seem unapproachable, haughty even. Mix in the athletics and her aggressiveness on the court and voila. Recipe for a stereotypical alpha. But she was none of that. The challenge was, how could she prove that to Elsa? Oh, and she wanted her sweatshirt back. 

It had been a few weeks since the party and as October settled in, the weather started to turn. There was a damp chill in the air every morning. Surprisingly, she had not managed to cross paths with the blonde, nor had her friends, who she had rallied to help her. Though bringing in Merida as a wing woman was a questionable decision at best. The redhead kept trying to give her advice that Cassandra immediately disregarded. But it was nice that she at least tried to help.

Cassandra was wandering across campus one afternoon, her professor had the flu so her usual class was cancelled. In lieu of class, she sat on a bench under a large maple tree and read her book. She was grateful to have a little time to herself. Between keeping up with her classes and all of the practice and extra conditioning for the start of the new season, she was running thin. She was completely lost in her own world that she didn’t hear the quiet footsteps approaching. 

“A little on the nose, don’t you think?”

Cassandra froze, blinking as her eyes settled on Elsa, standing a few feet in front of her. She was wearing a puffy down vest, navy blue, over what looked like a white turtleneck, though she couldn’t tell with the thick white scarf around her neck. Dark jeans and knee high boots finished the look. She looked like she had just walked out of a winter magazine. Cassandra stared a little longer than appropriate, regaining use of her mouth only when she saw the blonde start to shift her weight nervously. “What?”

“Your book…” Elsa pointed “Medieval Knights of European History… because your last name… sorry, it was meant to be a joke.” She looked away awkwardly. “I… I need to return your sweatshirt.”

Cassandra nodded “oh, right… yeah I forgot you had it.” _That was a total lie…_

“Are you busy? I don’t live far, I can give it to you now…”

Cassandra blinked “oh, yeah, great. My class just got cancelled. I don’t want you to have to go out of your way on my account.”

“It’s no problem. I was on my way home anyway. I just happened to see you here and came over.”

“Well, I’m glad. I was starting to miss your regular stalking sessions. Thought you had forgotten about me.” _What the hell?_ Cassandra was internally screaming at herself.

Elsa paused “in my defense, I’d say we are even. I ran into you. You ran into me. Now do you want your sweatshirt or not?”

Cassandra smiled and shoved her book in her bag, slinging it over her shoulder as she stood. Elsa was cute when she was being stubborn, her lips drawn into a defiant line but the subtle curl tugging at the corner of her mouth betrayed her playfulness. “Lead on.” 

Cassandra walked quietly, trying to think of something to say. What had Rapunzel suggested again? Her mind was drawing a blank and she was starting to freak out a little. Thankfully, Elsa broke the silence.

“So, do you just read about knights for fun or what?”

“Oh, I’m a History major. I just really like medieval Europe. Maybe it’s the name, but sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong century. I’d love to go back in time.” 

Elsa laughed “you want to go back to live in a time where 30 was your average life expectancy and if the Black Death didn’t get you the Crusades might?”

The blonde’s laughter was like music to her ears. Cassandra wanted to make her laugh like that all the time. “Well, yeah it was those things, but it was so much more than that. I mean, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the Renaissance! So much was happening!”

“Wow, I had no idea you were so passionate about the subject…” Elsa smiled warmly.

“And I’m surprised you know so much. You’re not secretly a history major, too?.”

“Eh, I read a lot. And no, I’m studying physics with a minor in computer engineering.”

“Wow… that’s really impressive.”

“Thank you. I just like it. I guess if I were to be able to travel to a different time I’d want to see the future. Just look at the technological advancements we’ve made in our lifetime! And there’s so much more to be discovered!”

Cassandra grinned “guess we both get a little fired up about our subjects, huh?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s nice to hear you talk.”

“Same.” Elsa smiled up at her.

They walked in comfortable silence a few minutes before Elsa led the way up the stairs to a brick building. “This is me.” 

Cassandra stood back as the blonde fumbled with her keys. Unfortunately that put her face approximately eye level with her rear and she would be lying if she said she didn’t give those curves a once over. Wait, twice over. She caught herself staring and quickly turned around. She was trying to prove she _wasn’t_ just an alpha who thought with her dick, and so far she wasn’t doing a very good job. 

“Hey! You coming?” Elsa called over to her.

“Oh, yeah, sorry, just trying to give you some space.” Cassandra quickly walked up the stairs. She looked around the entry room. It was a pretty nice house. “This is nice. You have roommates or you have this place to yourself?”

Elsa dropped her book bag at the kitchen table “I live with my sister and a friend. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. Can I get you something to drink? We have beer, wine, soda…”

“Just water is fine, I don’t want to overstay my welcome.” Cassandra took a seat at the table. She was surprised by the overall tidiness of the living spaces. 

“Oh, sure, no problem.” 

_Was that a tone of disappointment?_ Cassandra thought her mind was playing tricks on her but decided to take a risk “on second thought, I’ll have whatever you’re having. It’s Friday after all.”

“Oh, great, yeah.” Elsa perked up. She brought over two beers and opened them both at the table and sitting down opposite of the alpha “I hope you don’t mind IPAs.”

“Not at all, they’re my favorite actually.”

“Mine too. Anna always jokes that I like my beer like I like my women.”

Cassandra paused, her beer midway to her mouth. This could go so many directions. “What do you mean?” She took a sip.

“Pale, full bodied and a little bitter.”

It took everything she had not to spew the beer from her mouth. Cassandra was absolutely speechless. 

Elsa chuckled at Cassandra’s expression, unashamed at the joke or admitting that she preferred women. Anna and Aurora had been coaching her relentlessly on how to converse with people. With the intention that those people were anyone other than Cassandra Knight. Oh well, why waste those lessons? “Yeah, my sister’s a bit of a jokester.”

“I remember.” Cassandra coughed to clear her throat and took another sip. 

Elsa took several drinks from her bottle before speaking. “Let me go get your sweatshirt before I forget…” she hurried off up the stairs. 

Cassandra sighed, trying to hurry through her beer. She wanted to stay but she was becoming a little overwhelmed by the concentration of Elsa’s scent in the house. She felt her pants grow a little tight. _Shit. Not good. Down girl! Stay down!_ She heard footsteps pattering overhead and then down the stairs. 

“I’m sorry, I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t wash it. I totally will if you want…”

“It’s no big deal, I was planning on doing laundry this weekend.” Cassandra responded, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, trying very hard to ignore her, well, hardness. Just as she reached out to take it, the front door burst open.

“Elsa, Elsa, Els-OHMYGOD!” Anna stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and dining space, her eyes wide as platters as she looked at Cassandra, then to Elsa, then back to Cassandra. 

“Anna, you remember Cassandra Knight. She was just picking up the sweatshirt she was kind enough to lend me the other week…”

Anna just nodded quietly, her eyes silently communicating with her sister.

Cassandra cleared her throat and stood up, quickly covering her crotch with her book bag, her sweatshirt tucked under her other arm. “I should… go. Thanks for the beer. Good to see you again, Arens.” She hurried out of the house, but not before she heard an insanely high pitched squeal coming from inside. 

Cassandra walked briskly down the street to her house, grateful she lived just a few blocks from Elsa, because her issue was now becoming rather painful. Elsa’s scent still lingered in her nose and every now and then she got whiffs from the sweatshirt. To make matters worse, the scents from the sweatshirt told Cassandra that Elsa had gone into heat recently, though the concentration of pheromones suggested it was just a partial heat. But to an alpha, the scent of any omega’s heat was damn near irresistible. Only with great control could an alpha resist their natural instincts. 

It also explained the blonde’s sudden absence. Most omegas took hormone suppressants or stayed inside during their heat cycle. To be caught outside during a heat was a recipe for disaster as the smell would draw in alphas from all corners. Many of which might not have honorable intentions. 

Cassandra barely managed to close and lock the door behind herself before dropping her bag and burying her face in the sweatshirt, breathing deeply. She had never smelled anything so wonderful. Not even Rapunzel’s scent was so alluring. _What was it about this woman?_ Cassandra’s inner thoughts were far too gone to even process that question. The only thing on her mind were thoughts of what it would be like to help Elsa through her heat. What it would feel like. While not overly promiscuous, she had done her fair share of helping random omegas through their cycles but none called to her like Elsa. All she wanted was to enjoy the moment, lose herself in those dark thoughts. She had never been more glad to live alone as her other hand quickly worked off her jeans. 

“Shit.” She hissed as her erection sprang free from its denim prison. She was just about to take care of business when she was suddenly aware of what she was doing and was instantly flooded with guilt. 

“Dammit! Get ahold of yourself, Knight!” She yelled at herself, throwing the sweatshirt aside. She balled up her fists, clutching the sides of her head, as she tried to steady her breathing and bring herself back from the edge. Regain control. Elsa deserved better than that. “Fuck!” She swore loudly, desperately wanting to punch something but she couldn’t injure herself, not before her final season. 

“Stupid fucking alpha brain!” Cassandra growled and stalked to her room, kicking off her shoes and pants along the way. Not only was she incredibly sexually frustrated, she was disappointed in herself. She had told herself that she wouldn’t be like the other alphas. Yet here she was, triggered into a practically mindless, drooling mess by one scent. Not a full rut, but it was definitely uncomfortable. So she did the only thing she could think of. She quickly grabbed her phone and clicked through her contact list.

“Raps… please… I need your help.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Rapunzel POV and more backstory...

Rapunzel didn’t question her friend when she heard her pleading on the other end of the line. She knew Cassandra well enough and she could hear it in her voice. She was in great pain about something, and she had a sneaking suspicion what it was about. Or rather  _ who _ it was about. She dropped everything and headed over, pulling up in front of Cassandra’s apartment ten minutes later. 

“Cass? You in?” She knocked while opening the door, looking around. There was evidence that suggested Cassandra was home. Her book bag was near the door, books spilling out of it. Her phone was on the counter, as were her keys. Jeans and a sweatshirt were strewn across the floor. Rapunzel raised an eyebrow, she recognized the sweatshirt, her mind jumping back to when Cass had told her that she had lent it to Elsa at the party. She reached down and grabbed the garment, giving it a quick sniff to confirm her suspicions. That one smell was all it took to know what was going on. 

“Cass? Where are you?” she called again, becoming increasingly concerned.

A loud thud and whine came from the bedroom and Rapunzel headed that way. She slowly pushed open the door and saw her friend. “Oh, Cass…” Her heart broke at the sight. 

The alpha was curled into a tight ball in the corner of her room, wedged in the tight space between her bed and window, rocking slightly. From what Rapunzel could see she had stripped herself down to just her boxers and sports bra, her shirt lay in shreds on the bed. The only sounds she was making was a mix of pained sobs, muffled whimpers, and angry growls. Steel grey eyes looked up at the brunette, desperate, pleading. 

“Raps…” she managed to choke out.

Rapunzel made her way across the room and sat down “I know, Cass. You can do this. You’re strong. Don’t give in.”

“Raps, please…” Cassandra’s voice broke.

“No. If you want to prove that you’re not just some other alpha, then you’re going to have to learn. I won’t do it.”

“But…”

“But nothing. You would risk our friendship over this?”

Cassandra opened her mouth, then slammed it shut and shook her head, wrapping her long arms around her knees, clutching her body tight. She knew Rapunzel was right and there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that she would ever do anything to harm their friendship. Rapunzel was too dear to her, she had been there when she had really needed a friend.

“Jesus, watch where you’re going, freak!” A cruel voice rang in her ears as she felt her books knocked out of her hands. Before she could react she felt her back slammed into the lockers, knocking the wind from her lungs. When the rough hands released her shoulders, she slumped to her knees.

Cassandra cowered on the ground, trying to grab her books and regain her breath, wheezing softly. She looked up just in time to see Hans’ sideways sneer as he and his goons walked away to ‘patrol’ the hallways. 

“Need some help?” A soft voice floated in.

Cassandra blinked and turned her head, finding herself staring at the greenest eyes she had ever seen. It didn’t take her long to realize who she was looking at and she couldn’t believe that Rapunzel of all people had stopped to help her. But she wasn’t about to turn down help either. “I… thanks.” She stammered, slowly getting to her feet, still doubled over. “You don’t need to hang around me. It’s not good for your reputation.”

“Pfft, to hell with what anyone thinks about me. It says more about them anyway.” Rapunzel grinned, waving her hand dismissively “I’m Rapunzel.”

“I know.” Cassandra stopped, her eyes went wide “I just mean, you’re well known here… I think everyone knows who you are. I’m sorry… that was rude of me. I’m Cassandra.”

“Oh, I know.” Rapunzel quipped, tossing Cassandra’s words back at her.

“Seriously, thanks. I think ever since I got my growth spurt all the guys feel intimidated by me or something.” She stood to full height.

“Wow! You  _ are  _ really tall!” Rapunzel bounced on her toes, still not coming up to Cassandra’s shoulder. 

Cassandra softened, Rapunzel was incredibly energetic but also earnest and kind. And no one really else seemed to care if she got bullied by Hans and the others. 

“Come on, middle school is hard enough without having to deal with those idiots.” She jutted her chin down the hallway in the direction the bullies went. “Wanna get lunch with me? Honestly, I could use a real friend and you strike me as a good person, Cass.”

“I could, too.” Cassandra blushed “Cass… I like that.” She grinned at the nickname.

Ever since that day, the two had become inseparable friends. Rapunzel helped Cassandra find her inner strength and beauty and finally accept herself. She taught her to take all the harsh words people told her into her own source of power. The more people tried to knock her down, the more determined she was to get back up and prove them wrong. 

The two years when Rapunzel went to omega school were difficult but they kept in close contact and their friendship continued to blossom. By the time they were reunited in high school, they officially started dating and the rest was history. 

After high school, both Cassandra and Rapunzel decided to split as girlfriends but still remained exceptionally close friends. On a few occasions they had even helped each other through their cycles, but with the firm understanding that there were no longer romantic feelings between them.

“Cass?”

Cassandra’s eyes snapped back to attention, focusing on the brunette sitting on her bed.

“You okay?” Rapunzel’s voice was still full of concern and empathy

Cassandra nodded slowly, “yeah… I’m okay… I’ll be fine. It just caught me by surprise is all… I’m sorry for interrupting your day.”

Rapunzel giggled and flopped down, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to her chest to prop herself up as she looked down at her friend “after all we’ve been through, you calling for help is what you’re concerned about?”

Cassandra snorted, still grinding her teeth a little bit, though Rapunzel’s calm neutral scent was helping her regain control. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“And just like that, Cassandra Knight pulls back from the edge, and the crowd goes wild! What a save!” Rapunzel imitated the sports announcer with a giant grin. 

“You’re such a dork.”

“And you love me for it.” She lay on her stomach, absentmindedly kicking her feet in the air then she suddenly broke out into peals of laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Cass playfully snapped at her, feigning annoyance.

“For being so damn big you really made yourself so tiny! It’s adorable.”

“I am  _ not _ adorable. Baby ducks are adorable. I’m not a duck.”

“Pfft… you’re adorable and you know it. Come on. Let’s get some clothes back on you and talk about your little Elsa problem.”

“Ugh… can I just enjoy hanging out with my friend for a bit before we jump into that? I think I’ve had enough feelings for one day.”

“Well… I hate to break it to you, lover girl, but that’s not how feelings work.”

“Fine.” Cassandra eventually conceded, finally unwrapping her long limbs and finding a clean shirt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering how Hans and Cassandra went to middle school together, but Elsa didn't recognize him at the party, fret not. There is a reason and I have a plan!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Elsa... who really needs to figure her shit out.

“What the actual fuck, Elsa? You’re supposed to  _ not _ be getting all wrapped up, remember? Moving on and letting the past be in the past?”

Elsa sat quietly “it’s not like I  _ meant _ to run into her! And I  _ did _ need to give her back her sweatshirt! It wasn’t a big deal!”

“Oh, yeah, inviting her in and having drinks. From where I was standing it sure looked like a big deal.”

Elsa perked up, hope flickered in her chest.  _ What had Anna seen? _ “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Anna realized her mistake and tried to brush it under the rug “Doesn’t matter. It was nothing. Look… I’m just tired of watching you get jerked around like this.”

“She’s not jerking me around!” Elsa insisted with a huff, taking an angry sip of beer. 

“No, she’s not! You’re doing it yourself! That’s even worse!”

“Well, what am I supposed to do then, Anna? It’s not like I can just leave school! That probability of running into her on campus is relatively high, you know! It’s a double edged sword anyway. I see her and I become a fucking mess. I don’t see her and I’m a fucking mess. And I appreciate you and Aurora trying to help me find a girlfriend, but I’m not like you… I can’t just just throw myself at someone and get over this. It’s the same as lying! How is that fair to anyone? And at the same time, I am not going to stay in my room just because there is a  _ chance _ of seeing her. I can’t spend my whole life hiding! I won’t give someone that kind of power over me. So it’s awkward when we run into one another, it’s a risk I’m willing to take… So I would appreciate it if you just let me figure this out on my own!”

Anna sat back, completely taken aback by Elsa’s outburst, her words were like daggers in her heart. She stared at her sister for a moment before sighing and shrugging “Okay, then.” She got up from her chair and headed for her room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Elsa snatched her glasses off her face and flung them down on the table, then dropped her face into her hands. She hadn’t meant to lash out at Anna like that. And she could tell that her words had really cut deep. When Anna was mad or frustrated she had a habit of yelling back and slamming the door. But a silent Anna was much more serious. It was a hurt Anna. She sighed and tilted back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. “What the hell am I doing?” she muttered to herself. 

She talked it through with her sister later that evening once they both had a chance to calm down and settled on an agreement for less meddling on Anna’s part and Elsa agreed to try to find a healthy outlet.

To try to work through her frustration and get out some of her pent up energy, Elsa decided to go to start going to the gym. At first she had been embarrassed. Sitting in the library reading had not done her any favors in the cardio department and the first few times she had only managed to run about 10 minutes on the treadmill. But after a few weeks she had started to see some results and truly enjoyed the endorphin rush after her workouts. Plus there was the physical benefit as well. She noticed that her body was becoming stronger, more toned, which gave her a confidence boost. And it  _ did _ help her forget about a certain alpha.

“Hey, stranger! Haven’t seen you in a minute! Where you been, girl?”

Elsa paused her treadmill and turned toward the familiar voice “Hey Moana! Sorry, I’ve been busy.”

“It’s all good. Didn’t expect to find you here, though. No offense. Didn’t really peg you for the athletic type...” Moana grinned and leaned on the handrail of the workout machine.

Elsa blushed, remembering how fit those girls had been at the party “I’d have to agree with you, but just thought I’d try something new and decided to give the gym a go. It’s actually rather therapeutic.”

“Yeah, I love the post workout rush.” Moana nodded appreciatively “Hey! The girls and I were gonna go to the game tomorrow night. You should come! It’s against Pixar College, should be a good match up.”

Elsa blinked “Oh, uh… yeah, sure…” She knew that meant watching Cassandra, but also she did enjoy hanging out with Moana, Merida and Mulan. “Yeah let’s go. Mind if I bring my sister and roommate?”

“No problem, the more the merrier!” Moana’s soft brown eyes glittered excitedly as she held out her cell phone “Here, put your number in. I’ll text you later and we can coordinate.”

Elsa’s fingers danced over the glass screen as she put in her name and number “Thanks, I guess I’ll see you later then.”

Elsa was legitimately excited to go to the basketball game the next night. In her 4 years at college she had never been to a sports event. Usually on Saturday nights she was at home with a pint of ice cream and Netflix. Or curled up in her room with a good book. Both were equally likely. She, Anna and Rapunzel had all decked up in the school colors, navy and silver. Elsa was grateful that the school colors weren’t some hideous combination like orange and blue or brown and yellow.

“Let’s do this! Whoooooo!” Aurora cheered as they walked down the street. The late October air was brisk, not quite chilly, but winter was definitely nipping at their heels. She was waving a little pennant she had picked up in the school shop.

Elsa grinned cheerfully and wrapped her arms around the others as they walked.

“Wow, Els, all that gym going is starting to pay off!” Anna squeezed her bicep “Maybe I should start going.”

Elsa chuckled “Yeah, might help you burn off some of that energy so you think more with your head and less with what’s between your legs.”

“Pfft. Just because you’re saving yourself for God knows whatever reason doesn’t mean we all have to be little saints. Girl’s have needs, okay?” Anna stuck her tongue out and pulled Elsa’s navy blue beanie down over her eyes.

“Added benefit… you get a free peek at what’s on offer.” Aurora chimed in.

“ _ Trueeeee! _ ” Anna nodded appreciatively.

Elsa adjusted her hat again “Oh, look, there’s the others! Let’s go.” She waved over to the three M’s standing by the entrance to the arena and pulled the others along.

Once they had their beverages and found decent seats near the middle of the court, they had a little time to kill before the game started. Anna was openly ogling at Moana’s tattoos “That’s some sweet ink.”

“Oh, thanks. I was born on a small island in the South Pacific, Motunui. It’s like, really small, but hey, it’s home. These are traditional designs.”

“Oi, ya think that’s cool, you should see these puppies!” Merida piped in, pulling off her sweatshirt to reveal a mock jersey. Elsa noticed it was Cassandra’s number and she bristled for a brief moment, but then she remembered that they were all friends. And it wasn’t her business anyway. Merida had absolutely no shame and lifted the right side of the jersey up to the bottom of her sports bra to reveal her ribs. Her entire side was inked, thick lines made up designs that reminded Elsa of Celtic patterns and in the center was an impressive coat of arms. 

Aurora nodded, impressed. “That’s really cool. What does it mean to you?”

Merida let the jersey drop, covering the giant tattoo “Aye. I’m descended from the clan DunBroch. It’s our family crest.”

Not to be out done, Mulan pulled up her left pant leg, revealing a large red dragon that snaked up her leg, wrapping around the calf. The head disappeared somewhere above the knee, presumably her thigh.

“You’re a real girl with a dragon tattoo, huh?” Elsa joked, remembering the book series she had once read. She hoped that Mulan was not a unhinged private investigator.

“Yeah, it’s my zodiac sign. I call him Mushu. He’s supposed to bring me strength, courage and power, like a guardian watching over me in battle.” Mulan replaced her pant leg and looked at the others “What about you three, do you have any tattoos?”

All three shook their heads.

“I’m scared of needles.” Aurora shuddered at the thought of having to sit in the tattoo chair.

“Yeah and I can never decide what I want… I sometimes get an idea but then I change my mind. Never got around to it.” Anna shrugged.

Elsa blushed, adjusting her glasses, feeling five sets of eyes settling on her “Well, I’ve thought about it… maybe one day.”

“Oh yeah? What would you get?” Merida perked up.

“Perhaps a snowflake? I like winter. Each flake is unique yet beautiful in its own way. It’s also a reminder that life is fleeting and we must seize the moment before it melts away.”

“That’s damn poetic, Els.” Anna joked, pretending to wipe away a tear.

“Screw you, Anna.” Elsa rolled her eyes and nudged her sister.

“Hey, watch the beer!” Anna snatched her cup away.

Before the sisters could descend into further banter and chaos, there was a loud buzzer and the announcer started shouting loudly overhead, signalling the start of the game. 


	10. Chapter 10

Cassandra was sitting in the locker room before the game, Coach Calhoun was giving them the normal pep talk and talking through plays. Her short blonde hair was slicked back so it didn’t flop around in her face like normal but she was serious as always. The woman had made it to Sergeant rank but an unfortunate accident meant early retirement from the armed forces. She pushed them hard, but every team member respected her and always gave their all and then some. And it showed. Since she became the head coach at Disney U, the ex-military woman turned the team around and they were now the top team in their division. Cassandra hoped they would get to the NCAA championship again, maybe even win this time. It would be a great way to finish off her collegiate career. Coach ended the talk and let them finish getting ready in the few minutes before they were to take to the court. 

She felt her phone buzz and she subtly checked the message. It was a picture of her favorite M’s, the Three Musketeers she sometimes called them. But she made a strange choking noise when she saw who was with them. She suddenly grew increasingly nervous knowing that Elsa would be watching. But at the same time, it was an added incentive to kick some serious ass. Her chance to show off. Plus she knew that they’d go for Waffle House after the game, as was tradition when they had home games. Perhaps Elsa would come along this time? She had been very disappointed not to see the blonde there after the party last month, but things worked out pretty well, all things considered. It gave them a chance to actually talk for a bit during the sweatshirt exchange. Until she almost lost her shit. She shrugged off the memory and shot a quick text back.

_ ‘Thanks for coming! Waffles later? Everyone’s invited of course.’ _ She hoped that Merida would get the hint and invite the blonde and her friends.

She shoved her phone in her locker and pulled off her warm up gear, quickly getting her head back in the moment. She felt a strange comfort in knowing that she had done everything she could and the ball was in Elsa’s court this time. She smirked at her private joke as she made her way out to the court with the team.

To say that Disney U crushed Pixar would be the understatement of the season, final score settled at 98 to 67. And Cassandra was on fire all night, scoring 34 of the team’s points. Apparently having Elsa in the stands was all the encouragement she needed. It was a great start to the season and she felt as if nothing could bring her down. She was still riding her rush long into the post-game recap. After Coach dismissed them, she hit the showers and changed before texting Merida.

_ ‘I’m ready, meet at the Quad?’ _

She took a deep breath and left the locker room, bracing herself for the fans she knew were waiting about to take pictures, ask her for an autograph or invite her to some get together. Tonight’s crowd was especially insane, probably due to her performance.  _ Please save me, Mer! _ she thought as she started to make her way through the sea of people. As if on cue, her phone buzzed, giving her the out she needed.

“Sorry, guys, I’m late to something. Thanks for coming out tonight, I hope you all enjoyed the game. See you next time!” she shouted, grateful the people closest to her started to move out of her way to make a path.

She hurried to the statue of W. Disney, the school’s founder, in the center of the Quad, glad that the air was cool so she didn’t work up another sweat from hurrying. She held her breath when she saw Merida’s bright red hair practically glowing in the light of the moon. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she saw that there were several more than just three people standing there. Maybe? But as she approached, she didn’t see platinum blonde and her heart started to sink back to its normal location. She put on a brave face and tried to mask her disappointment as she approached “Hey, fancy seeing you all here!” she grinned and wrapped an arm around Moana’s head and gave her a noogie. 

Moana groaned and struggled to free herself, playfully punching her in the arm upon success “shove off, Knight… just cuz you’re freakishly tall and had an awesome game doesn’t mean you can just put me in your armpit whenever you want!”

Cassandra laughed and moved her arm “Fair enough… Did you…” she stopped talking when she saw Elsa turned around, the end of her braid had been tucked into her navy scarf and her head was almost entirely covered by a dark blue beanie.

“Hey Cassandra.” She offered a timid smile. “Great game, it was very exciting.”

Cassandra beamed, internally doing handstands and cartwheels “thanks, I’m glad you came.”

The two stood silently staring at each other for a few tense moments.

Merida and Mulan just smirked and rolled their eyes “Great, now that we’re all here… We’d like to get food sometime tonight, unless you wanna just stand around gawking at each other.”

Cassandra could murder her friends. “Fuck off Mer. Waffle House is tradition not to be trifled with! Though we’ll have to take two Lyfts. We won’t all fit in one.” She was still staring at Elsa, and was surprised to see that she was looking back. 

Merida coughed “yeah, I’ll get one. It’s my turn anyway.”

“I can get the other one.” A soft voice spoke. 

Cassandra turned her attention from the shy blonde, she hadn’t even noticed the two other people standing next to Elsa. “Hi Anna…” the redhead nodded stiffly, glaring slightly. Cass turned to the other girl “and I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.” She held her hand out to shake.

“Oh, I’m Aurora. Elsa’s roommate.”

“Ah yes, good to meet you as well.” She stood awkwardly as Merida and Aurora coordinated ordering the rides. Should she talk with Elsa? And why was her sister looking at her like that?

“Great… My car will be here in three minutes.” Merida announced loudly, trying to break the awkward tension. 

“Mine will be here in 5.” Aurora added cheerfully “so, how should we do this?”

“Mulan, Moana, Cass and I can take mine, you three in the other?” Merida responded quickly. 

Cass looked over the redhead’s shoulder at the phone screen “a Focus? Seriously? I won’t fit in that, not even in the front seat!”

“It’s not my fault you’re a giant!” Merida huffed.

“I’ve got a RAV4, if you want, Cassandra.” Aurora showed her app screen “you’ll probably be more comfortable.”

Cassandra looked over at Merida “sorry Mer… she’s got a point.” She didn’t sound the least bit apologetic.

“Uh huh…” Merida quirked an eyebrow giving Cassandra a look that screamed ‘I see what you’re doing. Nice.’

The silver Focus pulled up and the three Musketeers piled in with a “see you guys there!”

“SHOTGUN!” Anna yelled so loud that Elsa was certain that people on the other side of Boston would hear.


	11. Chapter 11

Elsa nervously picked at her food. She wasn’t hungry but she wasn’t going to pass up a chance to be around Cassandra. She had been too surprised to answer when Merida invited them and she was grateful that the brain in Anna’s stomach overruled the brain in her skull as the redhead answered quickly for the group without thinking. 

Her nerves were still running high from the car ride, which had forced them to sit together in very close proximity for fifteen minutes. Aurora had taken a window seat, as had Cassandra, which left Elsa in the middle. She wondered if her roommates were conspiring against her. Actually she was fairly certain they  _ were _ conspiring. Being in the middle she bounced around with nothing to lean on and every now and then her knee would touch Cassandra’s. On one particularly sharp turn she had gone tumbling into Cassandra’s side. She really hated being in the middle seat. Or did she love it?

But regardless, she was enjoying the evening and didn’t want it to end just yet. She was surprised to find that she really  _ had  _ found the game to be exciting, even though she didn’t have an idea of what was going on. She had never really paid attention to sports before. But she cheered when the crowd cheered and she booed when the crowd booed. It felt kind of nice to be a part of something. The view certainly didn’t hurt either. She had struggled a little with keeping control of herself as she watched the women moving across the court, their muscular bodies... pressed up against one another... covered in sweat…  _ Shit, stop thinking about it, Elsa! _ She quickly cleared her throat and shook her head to pull herself out of her thoughts. She hoped she hadn't subconsciously released any pheromones, and but if she had, Cassandra hadn't seemed to notice or let on.

“Would you mind explaining how the game works?” She took a stab at a conversation starter that she thought might interest Cassandra and she  _ was  _ genuinely curious. 

“Elsa, it’s simple, you toss the orange ball into the hoop!” Anna smirked, chowing down on a plate of sausages.

“Well, it’s a little more complicated than that.” Cassandra perked up and started explaining different plays and rules, referencing moments in the game. “I’d be happy to show you some time. If you wanted to learn.”

Elsa blushed but nodded “if you have time, I’m sure you’re busy and have better things to do with your time. Also I’m afraid you might laugh at my lack of coordination. I hated PE in high school.”

“Yeah, I remember. Coach Gaston had to practically pry you off the bleachers to make you participate in the class.” Cassandra chuckled.

“I’m not opposed to physical activity… I just. Didn’t see the appeal back then. I kind of get it now.”

“Yeah, Elsa’s been hitting the gym lately! She’s got little BB guns for arms now…” Anna giggled and squeezed Elsa’s bicep.

“At least I’m trying!” Elsa huffed.

“Oh really? That’s perfect!” Cassandra nodded “I’m surprised I haven’t seen you there, though I usually am in the athletics complex.” She grimaced apologetically, the elite facility was reserved for the school’s athletes. “Sorry…”

“It’s fine. I’m not offended that you have a special training facility.” Elsa shrugged and pushed a bit of egg around on her plate.

Cassandra smiled a little “But I could be persuaded to take a break from the sports snobs… besides, who will teach you to play ball otherwise? They say the best practice is to teach.”

“I’m pretty sure that doesn’t apply to professional athletes.” Elsa rolled her eyes playfully. “Your workout probably makes what I do look like child’s play.”

“Eh, I usually do my serious training in the morning, our sessions can just be for fun.”

Elsa blinked, she liked the way that sounded “our sessions.” Her mind started to wander so she quickly brought the conversation back to neutral ground “so, are you going to go pro after this?”

Cassandra shrugged “maybe. Depends on if I get drafted or not.”

“Well, if you keep playing like that this season I don’t see how you wouldn’t.”

“Well, it helps having such awesome fans cheering, does wonders for morale and team spirit.” Cassandra noted that Elsa’s face fell a little bit but she wasn’t sure what she had said that was wrong. She decided to stop digging herself into whatever hole she was currently standing in by eating. 

Anna rolled her eyes, unsure if these two were trying to flirt, in which case this was just sad, or trying to be platonic friends. Their conversation indicated the latter, but the air was still heavy with some unresolved tension that Anna couldn’t quite identify. Either way, it was painful. To make matters worse, Aurora had left early, saying her stomach didn’t feel well, though Anna suspected she had actually got a booty call from Phillip, and that meant she was third wheeling with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. 

She turned her attention to the Musketeers who were talking rugby, which instantly captivated Anna’s interest. She really liked these girls. They were all alphas but they were incredibly chill and not the stereotypical aggressive jock alpha. She found it refreshing. By the end of the night she had exchanged numbers with them all so they could hang out again.

“Oy! Halloween is next week, we should go out that night! I know of a bunch of parties around town.” Merida dropped randomly into the conversation. It seemed that she was the ringleader of organizing anything social. 

“Oh, that sounds fun, I’d love to hang out with you guys again and I know Elsa would, too. She’s just a little shy and not very good at socializing.”

Moana nodded “yeah, I remember first seeing her at that party, she looked so nervous. Glad I found her, I think the wolves were gonna descend on her.”

“Yeah, thanks for keeping her out of trouble by the way. She mentioned some creep giving her a hard time.”

“Eh, it was nothing. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Not that I want her to be in that situation again but you know what I meant. We look out for our friends, all of us.” Moana gestured around the table.

“Just be glad it wasn’t Knight who found her in that situation.”

_ That _ piqued Anna’s interest but she tried to play it cool “what do you mean?”

“Well, she might look and sometimes act like your stereotypical alpha, but it’s all for show. If she wants to go pro, no team wants a meek alpha on the roster, you know? But off the court and out of the spotlight she’s nothing like that. It really gets to her when other alphas throw their weight around to intimidate omegas and try to force them to submit to their will. I’m just saying that if Cass found her in that situation, she’d have probably beat Westergaard into the next week.”

Anna blinked. That was  _ not _ what she was expecting to hear, but she wasn’t mad. In fact, she was rather impressed and moved Cassandra up a few pegs in her assessment. “I had no idea.”

“Yeah, she acts all big and tough, and don’t get me wrong, when push comes to shove she can definitely back it up if need be. But she’s really a sweetheart. She just has a weird way of showing it.”

“Uh huh…” Anna nodded slowly, looking down the table at the two who were now intensely eyeing their plates and not talking. Fuck, she leaves her sister unattended for five minutes and it all goes to hell. _Wait, what?_ Was she supposed to be helping Elsa get over this girl or get with her? It was all blurring together and she didn’t know anymore. She really just wished that Elsa would make up her damn mind because trying to keep track was giving her a headache. She sighed but remembered she had also promised no more meddling. The blonde would have to figure it out on her own. She’d be there to listen of course, but otherwise, Elsa was driving that bus. She just hoped it wasn’t straight into a brick wall. She really didn’t want to be the one picking up the broken-hearted pieces if it went awry. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, another party scene. What could go wrong?

“I can’t believe I’m letting you talk me into going to another party.” Elsa rolled her eyes at her sister.

“Come on, it will be fun!” Anna grinned, trying to be as convincing as possible.

“That’s what you said last time.”

“But did you have fun last time?”

“Once Moana found me, yeah.”

“Well there you have it! All three said they’re gonna be there, so you’ll be fine!”

“Well, I don’t have a costume…” Elsa huffed 

“Leave it to me… I have my old prom dress still. You can go as a queen or something.”

“Seriously? You kept your prom dress?”

“Why not? I paid good money for that!” Anna jumped off the bed and dashed to her room, returning moments later. “Here, try it on at least.”

“You know we’re different sizes, right?” Elsa looked doubtful.

“I can alter it. Mom showed me how.” Anna grinned, she was actually surprisingly good at sewing. Anna had quite a medley of random skills. She would often try something new and then completely obsess about it until she perfected it, then would move on to the next thing. 

“Fine.” Elsa sighed and moved to her bathroom to slip on the silky dress. It was robin egg blue with icy crystals sewn around the tight bodice. The sleeves were a sheer fabric, even lighter shade of blue, almost see through. The chest was low cut and shoulders were left bare. A long train fell behind her, made of the same material as her sleeves. She gazed at her reflection a moment, she had to admit she liked the look. She emerged, holding the dress up, it definitely needed to be taken in a little.

“Oh Elsa, that looks perfect!” Anna grinned, “let me get my pins and I’ll tack it up and get to work.” 

It was Friday evening and Elsa was wringing her hands nervously. Anna had taken the liberty of shearing off over a foot of fabric so the dress came to her knees and added a large slit that revealed a good portion of her thigh, more risque than she would usually prefer. But at the same time, she kind of liked her overall image. Somehow it made her feel like a Queen. Confident, powerful, and poised. She didn’t feel like she was walking to her doom this time, unlike their previous party, and she found herself almost looking forward to the night. 

“You look lovely my Queen.” Cassandra’s voice purred in her ear, “I’ve come to rescue you from the goblin’s evil spell.”

“Oh, my brave knight, however can I repay you for your heroic deeds?”

“A kiss would more than suffice.” She could almost feel Cassandra’s hot breath tickling her neck. 

“Oh, Ca…”

“Uh, Els, who are you talking to?” Aurora’s voice drifted in from the doorway. 

Elsa blushed and turned away from the mirror, mortified to have been caught in her little fantasy. “Oh, uh… no one… I was… never mind. Are you ready?”

Aurora shook her head “I’m going out with Phillip tonight, sorry darling. Just wanted to see if you needed any help getting ready.”

Elsa shook her head, “I think I’m fine. What do you think?” she did a quick twirl.

“You look beautiful, Elsa!” The shorter blonde clapped her hands excitedly. “Okay, you two should get going, don’t want to be late after all!”

“You ready Els!” Anna shouted as she came bounding into the room, coming to a dead stop “Whoa, Elsa, you look… different. It’s a good different.” 

“What do you mean? You saw me in this already.”

“Well, I mean, yeah… but it’s not just appearance. It’s how you’re holding yourself. Your demeanor like, totally changed.”

“I don’t know, I just feel… right.” Elsa grinned and hugged her best friend “You and Phillip have fun tonight. Call us if you need anything otherwise we’ll see you later!”

This time, Elsa walked confidently into the party, aware of the eyes watching her as she moved through the crowd. Somehow it didn’t bother her and in fact, she almost liked the attention. But she did keep her arm tightly linked with Anna, just until she found the Musketeers, who were dressed, quite fittingly, as the Three Musketeers.

“You guys are ridiculous. So, who is Athos, Porthos, and Aramis?” Elsa giggled.

“And where is d’Artagnan?” Anna nodded, appreciating the group costume.

“Right behind you.”

Elsa spun around, her mouth dropping slightly at the sight of Cassandra in a full period costume. “Wow… you really just took the Renaissance Fair to a whole new level.”

Cassandra chuckled “What can I say? It’s my major and my passion. When I commit to something, I commit fully.” She tried very hard to keep her eyes on Elsa’s face and not wander lower, but she couldn’t help herself from stealing a glance or two “And I suppose this makes you Lady Winter?” 

“I was just going for a generic queen, but I suppose that works if you wanted me to be a part of the theme.”

Cassandra grinned and offered Elsa one of the beers she was holding, making sure to open it in front of her “Well, you look lovely, Mi’Lady.” She smirked, offering her a dramatic bow.

“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?! I want in on this group costume!” Anna pouted.

“Anna, you’re dressed as sexy Black Widow, I don’t see how this fits the theme…” Elsa chuckled and flicked some lint off of Anna’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Anna, you can be our time traveling court jester!” Merida roared with laughter, punching the other redhead in the shoulder. 

“Yeesh. You guys are a tough crowd to please!” Anna rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m gonna go get a drink since someone didn’t bring  _ me _ a drink.”

Mulan noded “I’ll come with you. Though I think you could handle yourself pretty well.”

“True, but sometimes I like being handled.” Anna winked as she sauntered away, Mulan following closely behind.

Elsa rolled her eyes at her sister’s antics but whatever she and Mulan got up to was their own business.

“Knight! You’re up!” someone’s voice carried over the crowd of people

Cassandra looked over “Oh, I forgot I was on the list for beer pong. Want to come with me? I could use a partner. Especially one who is good with physics. Projectile motion and all.”

Elsa blinked, “Oh, uh, sure… I’ve never played but I guess I’d be willing to try.”

It turned out that Elsa was actually incredibly good at beer pong. She and Cassandra won five games in a row before they were finally defeated. Cassandra had been kind enough to finish the beers that Elsa couldn’t.

“Hey, I gotta use the bathroom. Will you be okay for a few minutes?”

“Yeah, I should be fine” Elsa nodded, “I can hold your cup for you.”

“Thanks, I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” Cassandra grinned and hurried off into the crowd.

Not ten seconds after Cassandra left, Elsa heard someone approach.

“You going as a soda for Halloween? Because I sure want to mount and do you.”

Elsa stiffened when she heard that familiar smug drawl.  _ Hans. _ “You best be moving on.” She didn’t even look at him, though she could feel his presence and he was standing much too close for comfort. It made her skin crawl.

“Saw you at the table. You know your way around balls. I got a couple that wouldn’t mind the attention.”

“You are absolutely repulsive. Go away and leave me alone. Cassandra will be back soon.”

“Please… I’m not afraid of her. Never have been, never will be. What a pitiful excuse for an alpha.”

“You best watch your tone. She's more of an alpha than you'll ever be!” Elsa finally couldn’t resist glaring at him. He was wearing nothing but a red cape and a belt of leather flaps that reminded her of Spartan warrior’s armor.

“Oh, is that what you think? What are you gonna do about it? Huh?” Hans sneered, trying to overpower her with his aggressive posture and overwhelming pheromones. "You're just an omega..."

Elsa wasn’t sure if it was because she had drank more than normal, but she felt her head start to tilt forward, despite how hard she was trying to resist his display of dominance, her knees were starting to buckle. She couldn’t believe that someone was actually trying to make her fully submit to them in public like this. It was incredibly humiliating. “Stop. Please. Don’t make me do this.” She whimpered. 

“It’s okay, baby, I’ll take good care of you. Now just be the good little omega you are and give in.”

Elsa was on the ground, just about to succumb to the scent and submit to him when she heard an almost feral growl behind her and suddenly the flood of pheromones stopped assaulting her senses. But the damage was done, her head was swimming and she struggled to keep in control of her mind rather than submit to the alphas above her. She couldn’t bring herself to look up, but she heard the argument happening above her.

“How dare you treat her like that! Making her submit to you in front of everyone! You are a pathetic excuse for a man!” Cassandra growled, she sounded livid, dangerous.

“Oh, look at you, getting all possessive over your little omega. This is just like middle school, Knight. You didn’t have what it took to take me on then and you sure as hell aren’t alpha enough to take me on now.” Hans taunted back, sounding unphased by her words.

“She’s not  _ my _ omega. People aren’t objects to possess or conquer, you ignorant, small-minded fool. Assholes like you give alphas a bad name.”

“Ah, see that’s where you’re wrong. Don’t be mad at me because you don’t have the balls to take what you want.”

Elsa heard a hard thud of a body hitting the wall, followed by a low groan from above.

“That was a dumb move there, Knight.”

“If you ever come near her again, you’ll get much worse. Now get the fuck out of my sight before I change my goddamn mind.”

Elsa was too shaken to move but suddenly felt herself being lifted off the ground and carried away. Her head lolled about limply before coming to rest against Cassandra’s strong shoulder and she nuzzled her nose into the crook of her neck to breathe in the calming scents the alpha was currently releasing as she slowly slipped from consciousness.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

Ever since the Halloween party fiasco, Elsa and Cassandra started spending more time together. Elsa felt safe in the woman’s presence and she really enjoyed just getting to know the raven-haired woman on a deeper level. 

In a surprising twist of fate, getting to know Cassandra as a friend was actually helping her get over her senseless pining and infatuation. She started to stop seeing Cassandra as an untouchable goddess and more as the woman she actually was. With strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams, quirks and flaws, just like everyone else. But somehow, the more she learned about Cassandra, her feelings started to shift from a childhood crush into something different and she felt herself start to fall deeper and deeper. And that scared the shit out of her. Because this was the real world now, not just in her mind.

She was grateful that Cassandra had been respectful of her boundaries and didn’t push for more, she seemed just as content to be hanging out with her as friends. And despite her feelings, right now she really just wanted friends. The incident with Hans had really shaken her and her already fragile trust of alphas was all but shattered, only adding to her resolve to not date alphas. At least, that’s what she was telling herself.

“Arms up! You’re trying to block me.” Cassandra instructed as she lazily dribbled the ball.

“Well, that’s kind of hard when I’m up against a freaking Amazonian!” Elsa huffed and tried again.

“Size isn’t everything. Our forward is only 5’10”. Just an inch taller than you.” Cassandra retorted and pivoted quickly on her toes, spinning away from Elsa and hurrying across the court with a hearty laugh as she sank the ball into the net with an easy lay up. She sauntered back across the court, holding the ball in one hand. “Your turn,” she bounced the ball to Elsa.

Elsa looked doubtful but tried to dribble the ball like Cassandra had shown her, crouching defensively. “Okay, I got this.”

Three seconds later it became clear that Elsa, in fact, did  _ not _ have this. 

“Now you’re just showing off,” she huffed, looking up from where she had landed on the ground. Cassandra was standing over her, spinning the ball on her pointer finger, looking rather smug.

“Maybe a little.” Cassandra sat down next to her. “You okay? You seem a little distracted today.”

Elsa sat up, leaning back on an arm. “Yeah… it was something Hans said at the party. You knew each other in middle school?”

Cassandra paused “Yeah, I knew him.”

“How is that possible? We went to school together…”

“Eh, he transferred the same year you went away to omega school. You guys never crossed paths. He got kicked out though before high school for aggressive behavior. Got sent to an alpha only academy to teach him control. Clearly he didn’t do so well there either.”

Elsa nodded slowly “He was saying some pretty cruel stuff. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Usually I’d say no, but sure why the hell not? There isn’t much to say though. He made my life hell for a while, bullied me relentlessly. That was until I met Rapunzel. She helped me through it, kept in contact with me even when she was away. I really owe her a lot for helping me become who I am today.”

Elsa nodded, she had no idea the depth of Cassandra and Rapunzel’s relationship. She felt a sharp pang of jealousy, which she quickly pushed aside, reminding herself that she wasn’t looking for a relationship. “Wow… I never realized. I just thought you two were like, I dunno, meant to be or something. You two were the untouchable couple.”

“What do you mean?” Cassandra quirked an eyebrow.

“Well, like it seemed that everyone wanted to either screw you or be you.”

Cassandra laughed softly “oh is that so? So what about you, then?”

“Neither, actually. I just wanted to get through school.” Elsa shrugged, though she knew her words were a lie. 

“So actually everyone wanted to screw me, be me or were like you and were completely indifferent towards me.” She scoffed “well, I had no idea that’s how I was viewed back then.”

“Yeah, well it’s hard to see things when you’re in the middle of it.”

Cassandra nodded “yeah I guess.” She took a deep breath, her heart pounding hard, feeling more nervous than she had been at the NCAA championship last year “Hey, so I was thinking. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you these past few months, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to get dinner with me.”

Elsa brightened “oh, you want to go to Waffle House with the girls? Yeah that sounds great!”

Cassandra frowned “Uh, no… not with everyone. Just with me.”

“Like a date?”

“Yeah, a date.” Cassandra’s grey eyes swam with hope as she watched Elsa work things out in her mind. She had worked through several outcomes, however, she was not expecting Elsa’s response. 

“Cassandra… please don’t do this.”

“What? Why?” Cassandra was confused. They had become very good friends, the signs were there, it was the next logical step. So why was she rebuffed so quickly? And why did it seem that the words rolled off of Elsa’s tongue so easily? It was as if she had just been waiting to say them.

“Because you’re about to ruin everything we have. I really value your friendship. I appreciate your offer and I’m flattered, but I don’t date alphas.” Elsa replied quickly. 

Cassandra stiffened. It would have been one thing if Elsa had said she wasn’t interested and just wanted to be friends, but that last line cut her deep. She did not like getting shut down because of a generalization, especially one that she worked very hard to overcome. She knew of Elsa’s stance on dating alphas, Merida had told her so, but hearing it directly from Elsa made it real, undeniable. But she also thought that maybe after all this time she would have proven that she wasn’t like the others. Maybe Elsa would have given her a chance. It seemed that she was mistaken. It seemed that in Elsa’s mind, an alpha was just an alpha.

“Really? I thought after everything…” Cassandra huffed, her voice grew cold and biting “I thought you were smarter than that.”

“Oh, so you’re going to insult me because of my personal decisions? That’s really mature. You’re not doing much to convince me that you’re not just another alpha. I thought you respected me.” Elsa’s voice was raising and getting slightly pitchy.

"I do respect you! Fuck! When have I ever given you the impression I didn’t?” Cassandra clenched her fist angrily, pressing it against her thigh. “And I shouldn’t have to prove anything to you or anyone else! I thought you were different. That you saw me for me, who I really am! I'm so much more than just my alpha, much like you're more than your omega, and you know it! Frankly it’s bullshit that you would just group me in with everyone else. I never once saw you as  _ just _ an omega. But now I’m not so sure!"

“That’s rich.” Elsa spat.

“Well, if you’re going to shut me down just because of the way I was born, will you at least tell me why the hell you have this stupid no alpha rule? Is this because of Hans?”

“It’s not just Hans.”

“Then why?”

“It’s because of you!” Elsa shot back, her chest was heaving as she breathed hard, trying to keep some sense of calm. It wasn’t working. 

Cassandra froze “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, I saw the way people just threw themselves at you like pieces of meat. And you just let them. And I didn’t want to be like that. I never want to just blindly follow some alpha because my genes tell me to.”

“Wait… You’re basing how you go through life and treat others because how I was in  _ high school! _ ?” Cassandra was almost shaking now. “Jesus… that is possibly the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You’re being so childish!”

“Well I’m glad to know how you really see me.”

“Well what am I supposed to say because that’s how you are acting right now!” Cassandra defended. “You know what? Fine. I thought you were different but you’ve pretty much just told me that no matter what I do, you will only ever see me as an alpha. So I guess that’s what I’ll be!” She jumped to her feet and started angrily pacing a few circles around the blonde before heading for the door. 

“Cassandra, where are you going?”

“To find some random omega and fuck them into next week. That’s what alphas do, right? Have fun being miserable and lonely, Arens.” She stalked off the court, hurling the basketball against the wall so hard it actually stuck in the drywall.


	14. Chapter 14

Cassandra stormed out of the gym. It took everything she had not to just scream at the top of her lungs.  _ What the fuck just happened? How did everything escalate so quickly? _ Things were great and then suddenly Elsa was being ridiculous and illogical. She could understand if Elsa’s no alpha rule came from a bad interaction with someone like Hans. She could have swallowed that reason and respected it. But to have the nerve to blame  _ her?! _ Being held to some expectation from  _ high school!?! _ Seriously? Since then, she had done everything she could to  _ not _ be like the typical alpha. 

She spun on her heel to go back in and confront the blonde. She made it a few paces before spinning again, heading away from the door. “Fuck. Fuck. Fucking fuck. Shit” she muttered under her breath. She had never felt so angry before. She balled up her fists and clenched them against her forehead. Her mind was swimming, unable to focus. She felt like she was flailing, drowning in a sea of anger and hurt. So she did what she always did. She called Rapunzel.

“Okay, slow down. And please stop hitting that poor punching bag. I mean, I know that’s what it’s there for, but it’s really hard to have a conversation with you with your back to me.”

“Fine.” Cassandra growled and stepped away from the slightly misshapen punching bag in the corner of her living room and started pacing around her kitchen instead.

Rapunzel took a deep breath before speaking “Okay, start from the beginning.”

Cassandra unloaded the play by play of everything that had unfolded at the gym. Her arms started flailing as she got to the more heated parts, trying to provide an outlet for her emotions. When she finished she sat expectantly on a stool at the island counter, staring at the brunette. When Rapunzel had nothing to add, she launched into her next rant. “I mean, I did what you suggested! I let her in, I showed her who I really am! I thought she would at least give me a fucking chance! But she shut me down just like that!” she snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. “All because I’m an alpha! I am so angry!” She slammed the palm of her hand down hard on the countertop.

Rapunzel listened quietly. “And you have every right to be angry.”

“I know I do I mean…” Cassandra started going off without hearing what Rapunzel had said “Wait, what?”

“She hurt you, Cass. You have every right to be mad about how this went down. But I applaud you for putting yourself out there. I know it’s hard. You took a risk. It just didn’t pan out.”

“I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming”

Rapunzel nodded slowly “Well, I don’t know Elsa. And even if I did, I can’t speak for her, but based on what you told me, I think she’s scared.”

“Scared? What the hell does she have to be scared about? I did anything I could to show her that she could trust me! I mean, fuck,  _ saved _ her from that asshole on Halloween!”

Rapunzel smiled patiently “She’s not scared of you, per se. She’s scared of herself and what it might mean if she let herself care about someone else. Because if she cares about something, then that gives her something to lose in the future. So she ran before it could become something more, offering some illogical excuse for why. You can’t lose what you don’t have.”

“I’m not following”

“Feelings are hard.” Rapunzel responded simply, which infuriated Cassandra even more.

“Yeah, I coulda fucking told you that.” Cassandra growled, then realized what she had said. “I’m sorry, Raps. I don’t mean to bite your head off. You’re trying to help me and I’m being a dick. I am feeling really shitty.”

Rapunzel put her hand on Cassandra’s shoulder, rubbing gentle circles “I know. I’m here for you. Whatever you’re feeling inside, don’t keep it locked away, okay?”

Cassandra nodded and leaned into the touch, resting her head against Rapunzel’s neck. And then she allowed herself to cry. She clung to her friend, chest heaving as she sobbed into Rapunzel’s shoulder. She cried until she had no tears left and then she cried some more.

The brunette just held her, quietly rubbing her back. “It will be okay, Cass.” she murmured, barely audible. “You’ll get through this. You’re strong.”

Cassandra chuckled, hiccuping a little “Yeah, I know. I can bench press you.”

“Strength isn’t just measured in how fast you can run or how much weight you can move, but the resilience of your heart and your ability to forgive, not only yourself but others as well.” Rapunzel smiled softly, cradling Cassandra’s head.

“That sounds like you read it off of a fortune cookie.”

“Maybe I did. Speaking of, let’s order Chinese and binge Netflix.”

Cassandra nodded slowly “Yeah, I would like that.” 

“Okay… get up. I’m sick of this wallowing bullshit.”

Elsa rolled over and buried herself deeper into her blankets. “Go away, Anna.”

“Oh, so you’re going to push me away now? The same way you pushed Cassandra away? Great, Elsa. Keep this up and one day you’ll find that you’ve pushed everyone who ever cared about you away. People have limits you know.”

Elsa poked her head out from under the pile of blankets, her eyes full of fear at what Anna was implying “But I’ll always have you, you told me yourself! You won’t leave me, right?”

“Obviously, we’re sisters. But I have a life too, yanno. I mean, just because I’ll always be here for you doesn’t mean I want to be the  _ only _ person in your life.” Anna sighed and put her hand on the lump that was Elsa. “Look, all I’m trying to say is that I might not understand your reasons and respect that it’s your choice and all. But I still think you’re crazy for letting her go.”

Elsa sighed and slowly emerged, her eyes were red and puffy as she reached blindly for her glasses, “I know,” she muttered glumly. 

Anna smiled softly and put her hand on Elsa’s shoulder “So, what are you gonna do about it?

“Does it matter? She probably doesn’t want to see me again. Ever. I said some really stupid and nasty things that I didn’t really mean. I just… Everything was so good and I was afraid that by dating, it would somehow mess up everything we had. That I wouldn’t be Elsa anymore, that people would just see me as the omega dating Cassandra Knight.”

“And when did Cassandra ever make you feel like just an omega? She respected you. She made an effort to get to know you. She never tried to control or dominate you and she stood up for you when someone did. I mean, fuck, she spent almost a month hanging out with you teaching  _ you  _ of all people how to play basketball!”

“Even if she’s not like that now, what about the future? What if she suddenly changes and she becomes  _ that _ kind of alpha and I’m stuck there?”

“Well, you don’t  _ know _ . You can never know the future. But even if you don’t know the future, you  _ do _ know the person, right? Love isn’t about knowing everything. It’s a leap of faith.”

Elsa paused, fiddling with her glasses as she mulled that over for a moment. “I really fucked up didn’t I?”

“Uh, yeah. You did.”


	15. Chapter 15

“Anna! Hey! Yoohoo!”

Anna spun around to the stranger calling to her, her eyes wide when she saw who it was. “Rapunzel? That can’t be right, the Rapunzel I remember was a blonde”

“The one and only! Hair dye is amazing, isn’t it?” The brunette chirped and pulled Anna in for a hug “It’s been so long!”

“Yeah, last time I saw you was high school and you were putting us through those ridiculously rigorous cheering drills! My muscles would hurt for hours after practice!”

“Ha, well, I couldn’t let you gals slack off and get complacent!”

Anna nodded “Yeah, and I had buns of steel back then, so that was a nice benefit.”

Rapunzel chuckled “Same ol’ Anna Arens I remember, always finding a bright side to everything. Hey, do you have time for a coffee? It’s freezing out here and I’d love to catch up!” 

“Yeah, sure! There’s a little coffee house around the corner, best hot chocolate there is!”

Anna wrapped her hands around her cup of hot chocolate and inhaled the rich aroma before taking a sip. “Mmm, good call. December can be so cold!”

Rapunzel chuckled “We’re from Chicago and you think  _ this _ is cold?”

“Well, just because Chicago is colder doesn’t mean that it isn’t cold here, too!”

“Fair enough. Thanks for agreeing to come have a drink with me. There’s actually something I wanted to talk with you about.”

Anna paused, there was the shoe she had been waiting to drop. She tried to feign ignorance “Really? What about?”

Rapunzel chuckled “Oh, Anna, I know you too well and I know when you’re playing dumb.”

“Fine, you caught me. This is about what happened between Cassandra and Elsa, isn’t it?”

Rapunzel nodded slowly “How’s she doing?”

Anna paused, she didn’t know if Rapunzel was still friends with Cassandra. The word on the street was that after they split up they had stayed close friends. She knew the brunette was fishing for information. So she held her cards close. “As well as can be expected, I suppose. How is Cassandra? You still talk with her?”

Rapunzel nodded, knowing full well that Anna was holding out, but she didn’t blame Anna for not trusting her right away. So she decided to open the honest conversation. “Yes, of course we still talk. We might not be dating but we’re still friends. And Cass… she’s hurting. She’d never say that herself and I know that she’s trying to put on a brave face, but it’s an act. But because she’s the star of the team, she’s almost always in the spotlight. And as a public figure, her actions are always under scrutiny. She’s forced to hide her emotions and be stoic all the time because that’s what is expected of her. People only see her for her dynamic and unfortunately, in the society we live in, having feelings equates to weakness and no one respects a weak alpha. She’d be risking her future basketball career. I really hate the way that society makes her be like that. It’s not her.”

Anna nodded “I was starting to see that. Cassandra is like no alpha I’ve ever met before. Hell, she’s not like anyone I’ve ever met, alpha, beta or omega.”

Rapunzel smiled gently “I can’t disagree with you there.”

Anna rocked on her heels as she tried to decide what to do. Should she betray Elsa’s trust and tell Rapunzel the truth or just let the blonde figure it out? Elsa had wallowed through the rest of the fall semester, leaving only to go to class or the gym. Desperate times called for desperate measures. “My sister is an idiot. She’s really broken up about how things went.” she blurted out.

Rapunzel grinned “I had a feeling that was the case. So what do you propose we do? I can tell you that Cassandra will never make the first move. Regardless of the truth, or lack thereof, behind her words, Elsa made it pretty clear what she wanted and Cassandra will respect that.”

“See, that’s the tricky part, because Elsa is just as stubborn.” 

“I don’t know about you, but I’m very glad I ran into you. Watching Cass mope around has been unbearable.”

“Girl, I feel you. I think Elsa is solely responsible for the sudden lack of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the stores.”

As the semester drew to a close, Elsa decided that the time had come to extend the olive branch and reach out to Cassandra. But as luck would have it, she went into her heat and had to remain at home. Whatever she had planned would have to wait until next year. 

This had been a particularly hard cycle for her. She could usually get through the week with the help of suppressants, but for whatever reason her damn biological clock was ticking hard this time. How she had managed to go so many years without having someone assist her with a heat was beyond her, but she was very close to breaking that record and calling someone. But she only knew of four alphas that she trusted well enough to even consider asking and none of them were on speaking terms. Which was a shame, she really liked hanging out with Moana, Merida, and Mulan but she understood why things had shaken out the way they did. Anna had stayed in contact with the Musketeers but the topic of Elsa or Cassandra was strictly off the table. So all she could do was lock herself in her room and bear the ache, dealing with her issue to the best of her ability.

Once her heat passed and the new semester started, Elsa was on a mission. She had tried texting Cassandra a few times but she saw the texts had been left unread, and she didn’t blame Cassandra for ghosting her. So she needed to take more drastic measures. As much as it pained her to admit, she needed help. Anna’s help. She had been furious when the redhead came clean about some hair brained scheme she and Rapunzel had tried to cook up. But it turned out that Anna’s connections, specifically the one with Rapunzel, were just what she needed. She hoped that a Rapunzel could help convince Cassandra to meet with her.

She had all but given up hope when Anna happily announced that Cassandra had agreed to meet with her. Mid-January. 30 minutes. No more. Elsa was grateful she was given any amount of time at all.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's try talking, shall we?

The day of the meeting finally came and Elsa was a nervous wreck of feelings. She knew she had no right to be upset if Cassandra turned her away, but she hoped that she would give her another chance. She hurried down the snowy street to the coffee shop. Her heart somersaulted in her chest when she saw Cassandra’s dark wavy hair poking out from a booth in the back corner. She steeled her nerves, adjusted her glasses, and headed in. The first thing she noticed as she approached was that Cassandra appeared to be staring very intently at the table and didn’t look up as she sat down across the table. It turned out she was looking at her cell phone, her clock app was open with a 30 minute countdown on the screen. The start button was pressed as soon as Elsa took her seat. 

“Hey Cassandra.”

“Arens.” Cassandra replied stiffly, still not making eye contact, her head now tilted down and away, her grey eyes focused as far away from Elsa as possible. 

“Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

“I said I would.”

Elsa sighed and launched “well, I know I have only a limited time so I guess I’ll just cut to the chase. I messed up. I messed up really bad and I know I don’t deserve a second chance. Frankly I’m just grateful you were willing to meet with me at all.”

“Rapunzel called in every favor I owed her. You should be thanking her.”

Elsa wanted to cry “I’m sorry, I really am. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Well, congrats, you did anyway.”

“I was hoping you would let me explain myself.”

“It’s your 30 minutes, you can use it however you want. So if you want to try to explain your reasons, then be my guest. It’s more courtesy than you ever gave me.”

“I know. I acted like a complete ass. I was so afraid that dating you would ruin our friendship, but it seems I did a pretty good job of doing that all on my own. You never once disrespected me, you were always so considerate and kind. You listened to me and made me feel special. I said some really stupid, awful things, and it was completely unfair of me to use some shitty excuse like I did.”

“You’re right. It was unfair. If you had just said that you didn’t want to date and would have preferred to stay friends and left it at that, it would have been hard but I could have swallowed that pill and been your friend. But then you had the balls to make a gross generalization about me just because I’m an alpha when, as you just pointed out, I never once did anything to earn being lumped in that group. Now, if I had been acting like an aggressive, self-absorbed, entitled prick who treats everyone as an object to own, control, dominate, and fuck, that would be one thing. But I never,  _ ever  _ acted like that. And newsflash! I  _ never  _ will. Because that’s not the kind of person I am. I never made any assumptions, treated you differently, or thought less about you because you’re an omega!”

Elsa cringed as Cassandra’s words tore at her, but she was reaping what she had sown, and Cass had every right to feel this way. 

“And then you made it even worse trying to use me as your scapegoat for your already lame ass excuse! That was fucking high school damn it! And if you really want to go through life being dictated by the memory of the actions of a couple stupid hormonal teenagers, then that says way more about you than me.“ Cassandra finally looked up to make eye contact. 

Elsa flinched, Cassandra’s eyes were cold and hard, like she had never seen before. “You’re angry with me.”

“You’re damn right I am! And you know the sickest part? I’m  _ still  _ angry! And I hate that you still have this control over me! That you’re still affecting me.”

Elsa didn’t know what to say, she didn’t realize Cassandra felt so strongly. She just stared in silence for a while, but then she remembered that she was on a time limit. “I’ve had a crush on you since middle school,” she admitted quietly. She wasn’t sure why she said it, but the words just started tumbling out.

“Wait. What?”

“Yeah. I spent so long dreaming about it that I was terrified when I thought it was becoming real. That you were actually interested in me back. It wasn’t only in my head anymore. And I guess I didn’t want to disappoint you, because how could I ever be enough for Cassandra Knight? You’re smart, funny, and strong. You’re loyal, protective, and an amazing friend. You’re a genuinely good and kind person. You deserve the best.”

“You make me sound like some sort of god.”

“Well, that’s how I saw you for all those years and as I got to know you it turned out that I was right all along.” She chuckled softly. 

“I’m not perfect.”

“I know you’re not. And somehow that made you even  _ more _ perfect to me! That you  _ were _ human.”

Elsa looked down at the timer. _ 45 seconds left. Where did all that time go?!  _ She started to panic “Cass, what can I do?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. You shook my trust in you.”

Elsa’s heart sank when she heard the phone alarm going off. “Right… Well, thank you again for listening. I wish you the best of luck with everything.” She stood up and started to walk away but was startled by a hand suddenly on her arm. 

“I didn’t do it, you know.” Cassandra’s voice was quiet, almost inaudible.

“Do what?” Elsa slowly turned around as best she could. 

“Find some random omega and fuck them into the next week like I said I would” Cassandra looked at the ground, still holding Elsa’s arm. “I don’t know why I said it. I was just so mad. I thought it would hurt you the most. I never thought I was capable of wishing to hurt someone and I’m ashamed of the way I acted. I’m sorry, Elsa.” When she looked up, Elsa saw that her grey eyes were back to normal, warm and genuine. She let her hand drop and Elsa moved back to take her seat again. 

“I know. You’re not like that. And I was so out of line to ever suggest that you would ever treat someone else like that. You never viewed people as objects, you only ever saw me for me. I was scared that if we started dating, then I wouldn’t be seen as Elsa anymore, I’d just be the omega dating Cassandra Knight. I just didn’t want to lose myself, you know?”

“When I first heard about your stance on dating alphas, I tried so hard to prove to you that I was different. That I was worthy of you. I didn’t respect your wishes like I should have. I just wanted so badly to be with you, even though you made it clear. Turned out that I can be just as manipulative as any other alpha.”

“You don’t need to prove anything to me. You never had to. It was really shitty on my part to ever make you feel like that.”

“It seems like we both can share some of the blame here. And… I’d be willing to try again. If you are. But I also meant what I said earlier. Yeah, you shook my trust... but you didn’t break it. And I suspect I did the same to you as well, so I’ve got some work to do to regain yours.”

“Fair enough. And for the record, I really did like you.” Elsa smiled softly, hopeful. 

“For the record… I still do.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little fluff... these two earned it.

Elsa felt like she was floating, everything was finally lining up. She and Cassandra were working on rebuilding their relationship together, setting boundaries and expectations, talking through their issues rather than running from them. They were taking things slowly, but had managed to find time to go on several dates together, though as March approached, their time became few and far between as Cassandra and the team were busy preparing for March Madness. Not to mention her own coursework was getting crazy. She was glad that Cassandra didn’t want to do the ‘typical’ Valentine’s Day thing and the two had spent a nice evening staying in with Netflix and Waffle House delivered to them thanks to the miracles of GrubHub. Still, it got her mind thinking about what to do next. 

“I was thinking about asking Cassandra to be my girlfriend.” Elsa dropped out of the blue one night as the three roommates were having dinner. 

Aurora and Anna both looked at each other then to Elsa, then broke out in bouts of giggles.

“What’s so funny?” Elsa snapped, feeling like she was the butt of some private joke. 

“Oh, Aurora owes me $50… no big deal.” Anna grinned

“I’m not following. What does that have to do with me wanting Cassandra to be my girlfriend?”

“Oh, I bet Anna that you’d finally figure out you wanted to be Cassandra’s girlfriend in March, Anna picked February. You couldn’t have waited another week to have this revelation?” Aurora teased.

“Yeah, and we had a contingency plan if you took longer than April.”

Elsa’s mouth hung slack in disbelief “you were  _ betting _ on my relationship with Cassandra!?!”

“Oh, don’t make such a big deal out of it. We were pretty tame. Just wait til you hear what Merida, Mulan and Moana owe us!”

“I don’t want to know.”

“Spring break road trippppp to NYC!!!” Anna announced excitedly, pointedly ignoring her sister’s comment. 

“I kinda hate you both right now.” Elsa rolled her eyes. 

“Oh you love us and you know it.” Anna stuck her tongue out at her sister

“So what was your plan?” Aurora brought the conversation back to the original topic. 

“Plan?”

“Yeah, like how are you going to ask her?”

“By just asking her… why? It’s not like I’m proposing to her, I didn’t realize I needed to make a big show of it.”

“Well, I guess not but perhaps a slightly more romantic gesture would be appreciated…”

Cassandra would never turn down a trip to Medieval Times, a large theme park-style attraction that was like a year round Renaissance Fair. The place was kind of tacky but she didn’t care, she loved feeling like she was immersed in history and while there were several glaring issues with historical accuracy, she was willing to overlook it. There were live shows and performances. Game stalls where you could try throwing knives or axes and shops lined the roads through ‘town.’ One of her favorite things was to watch the crafts people doing demonstrations of their trades, making trinkets and souvenirs. Cassandra could watch the glassblowing and blacksmith at work all night long. But the leather work? Don’t get her started on the leather working. It was almost impossible to get her out of the leather workshop.

She wandered around with the Musketeers enjoying the various attractions and going into shops. They had all repurposed their Halloween costumes because when else could you dress up like that without getting weird looks and also, why the hell not? She was really bummed out that Elsa had to back out at the last minute, something about her physics project gone awry. It had been her idea after all. But the tickets were already paid for and she had insisted that Cass go with her friends. 

The ticket included a dinner with ‘King Arthur and his royal court’ and at the end of the evening at which time you could try to pull the ‘sword from the stone.’ 

“Oy! We should get going for dinner! I can’t wait to try to pull the sword to get my souvenir drinking horn!” Merida announced suddenly, practically carrying Cassandra out of the leather shop. 

“Fine. You know there’s some poor bastard in the back making minimum wage to just sit there and push a button at random, right?” Cassandra rolled her eyes and followed the redhead. Moana and Mulan were outside chatting. This was less their scene but they still seemed to be having fun. 

The ‘dining hall’ kind of reminded Cassandra of the Great Hall in Harry Potter. Long tables ran the length of the room. The walls were covered in colorful banners and shields bearing bogus coats of arms. At the head of the room were the large thrones for the ‘royals,’ who would do a little skit at the beginning of dinner to kick off the feast.

As Cassandra sat at her designated seat on the bench, she felt a pang of sadness when she saw the empty space for Elsa. But the blonde had told her to have a good time with her friends and when the tankards of ale were passed out she eagerly raised her tankard to cheers with the others before taking a long drink.

“Hear, ye, hear ye… I have a royal proclamation! Is there a knight here worthy of the fair princess?”

Cassandra didn’t look up, she knew this was probably just part of the act. She felt Moana tapping her shoulder rapidly, then all but grabbing her jaw and turning her head to the front of the room. The sight made her choke on her beer. 

Elsa was standing on the stage in a beautiful (and period accurate, except for her glasses) green velvet gown. Her hair was down from its normal braid and flowed in thick silky waves. She looked every bit the fairy tale princess Cassandra had dreamed about as a child, rescuing her in daring imaginary adventures. She was openly staring and probably would have continued to do so as her brain tried to catch up with what was happening. Thankfully, Moana was there to help her friend find her feet, practically shoving her along. 

Cassandra walked slowly down the aisle, her feet moving on autopilot, her eyes never leaving the blonde beauty in front of her, locked on those blue crystals that shone like sapphires. The room was full but she felt as if it was just them. She finally came to a stop in front of the thrones.

“Lady Knight, you have traveled far and wide and conquered any trial or obstacle in your path. You have proven yourself to be honorable, loyal and true. You have shown me that you are more than worthy and my only wish is that with time I may show you that I am worthy of you in return. Will you do me the honor of letting me into your life as your official girlfriend?” Elsa finished her speech, her blue eyes swimming with hope and apprehension. 

Cassandra was grinning like a fool as she listened to Elsa's words and by the time she finished talking, it felt like her smile was touching both ears like in old cartoons. Without a word, she surged forward and picked Elsa up, lifting her up over her head as she spun her around before pulling her close and kissing her without a care in the world. The room erupted into clapping and cheering, several wolf whistles scattered among the applause. While sharing their first kiss so publicly hadn’t really been Cassandra’s intention, she couldn’t contain her excitement and it just felt like the right moment.

After a moment, Elsa pulled away with a shy smile “I’ll take that as a yes, then?”

Cassandra smirked “I was going for an abso-fucking-lutely yes.” She took Elsa’s hand, intertwining their fingers as they walked to their seats.

Best. Day. Ever. 


	18. Chapter 18

“Cassandra… I want to ask you something.” Elsa sat down on the couch next to Cass, nervously touching her glasses. 

“Of course, Mi’Lady.” Cassandra tried to settle the mood with her little nickname. She set her book down and sat up, giving her full attention. She could tell that something big was on Elsa’s mind and she was having an internal struggle with either how to broach the subject or the subject itself. Her eyebrows had a specific way of furrowing and the deeper the crease, the deeper the issue. And from what she was seeing, this was going to be a doozy. She waited patiently, softly rubbing her knee to try to relax her.

Elsa had told her that she had a hard time with random physical touch, especially anything of intimate nature. So unless she told her otherwise, Cassandra only touched her in predetermined safe zones, like her knees. She was fine letting Elsa control the speed of their physical relationship. While she had quite a bit of experience, it seemed that Elsa had next to none. Thankfully Elsa was also very understanding of her own needs and didn’t mind if she needed to take care of business on her own periodically. She had actually watched a few times, which Cassandra found both intimate and highly erotic. 

Elsa took a deep breath “my-heat-is-next-week-and-I-want-you-to-help-me-through-it.” She blurted out without a single pause between words. Her face was almost as red as a tomato and she was holding her breath. 

Cassandra blinked, trying hard not to laugh at how embarrassed her girlfriend was “oh, babe… you know it’s natural to have these urges, right? You don’t need to be embarrassed.”

Elsa touched her glasses “I know it’s natural. I just usually take suppressants and wait it out. I’ve never…”

Cassandra was shocked “you’ve never had sex?”

Elsa looked at her hands in her lap “no.” She mumbled quietly. 

“How have you not  _ exploded?!? _ ” Cassandra couldn’t help but laugh.

Elsa huffed “it’s not funny! I just never saw the appeal! Usually my heats aren’t that bad, but last cycle was the worst I’ve ever had and if this one is like that again, then I don’t think I’ll be able to stand it!”

Cassandra stifled her giggles but a smirk remained etched on her face. She reached out and put her hand on Elsa’s shoulder, another safe zone. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. It’s your body and your right. I am honored that you want me to help you through your heat for the first time.”

Elsa burrowed her face in Cassandra’s neck, breathing in her scent. She pulled her knees to her chest, making herself very small and wedged her body as close as possible to Cassandra’s side. “Please hold me.”

Cassandra’s heart broke a little at how scared and vulnerable Elsa was at the moment, and she knew Elsa needed some positive affirmation that what she was feeling was okay. She wrapped her arms around the small frame, creating a protective cage as she pulled her onto her lap. “You’re so brave. This is hard to talk about, I get it, and I’m glad we are talking through it. Thank you for trusting me.”

“I’m scared.”

“I was scared my first time, too.”

“Will it hurt?” 

“It will at first, your body isn’t used to it. I can’t say from personal experience, but I hear that pain gives way to pleasure pretty quickly, even the first time.” Cassandra rocked her gently, Elsa was so innocent and almost childlike. Apparently whatever omega school taught her had really made an impression, and not the good kind. 

“Promise me you’ll go slow?”

“I promise. I’ll listen and do whatever you tell me to do. And if you want me to stop, then I will stop.”

That seemed to reassure the blonde and she sat quietly for a while before speaking again “will you talk me through it?”

“Of course, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do before I do it.”

“No, I meant now. Will you tell me what you plan to do so I can start to mentally prepare myself.”

Cassandra blushed “oh… right… well, a heat is different from having sex outside of a cycle. It’s a little harder to control with the hormones and instincts driving your needs, so sometimes the foreplay session gets cut short. But either way, I would start by kissing you until you beg me to move my tongue somewhere else… preferably your chest. I’ve been dying to worship your breasts for so long.”

Elsa nodded “that sounds nice. Please continue.”

“Then I would move my way lower and kiss every inch of skin I can reach before settling between your legs and pleasuring you with my mouth and fingers to get you warmed up.” Cassandra’s imagination was running wild now and she could feel herself starting to respond. She knew that her basketball shorts would do little to contain her and was fairly certain that Elsa could probably feel her hardening member poking her in the rear, but Elsa gave no indication that she wanted to move. 

Elsa closed her eyes and trembled, but not from the cold.

“And only when you told me you were ready would I finally enter you and bring you the satisfaction you deserve.” 

“And will I have to take your knot?”

“Well, no, you don’t. I will never knot you unless you explicitly ask me to. Of course we would take necessary precautions, but I’ll also pull out and finish myself off. Even in the very rare case that the protection breaks, there are pills. But that’s a last case scenario.”

Elsa nodded, mulling that over. “And what if I want you to?”

“Then you just need to say ‘avalanche.’”

“I’m not sure I understand how an avalanche has anything to do with sex.”

“Well, think of it like a safeword. When you’re in heat, you’re driven by your instincts and primal desires. If I’m going to knot you, I want to know that it’s you asking me, not your heat talking.”

“I guess that makes sense. So ‘avalanche’ is the word then...”

Just hearing the word and thinking about it made Cassandra’s member twitch forcefully and Elsa’s gasp told her that she had felt it, too. “I’m sorry, you’re very beautiful and I can’t help it. Honestly, I’ve kind of existed in a state of arousal pretty much ever since we started hanging out. Compression shorts work wonders in public.”

Elsa giggled against her shoulder “I had no idea… and I don’t mind. I think every inch of you is beautiful and wonderful. Is everyone as big as you are?”

Cassandra laughed “Well, you do know that everyone comes in different shapes and sizes, right? No two bodies are the same.” Internally her alpha was purring at the implied compliment. She wasn’t completely over the top in size, but she did have quite a bit to work with and she knew how to use it.

Elsa sat quietly in Cassandra’s lap and thought for a moment before talking again “It’s funny, I’ve always been okay with the idea of helping you through your rut but it scares me to think of the situation in reverse. Why is that?”

Cassandra thought about her next words carefully. “Our biology, I guess. As an alpha, when I smell an omega in heat, I naturally want to help them. I think maybe the same is true in reverse? Sometimes we aren’t aware of it but it’s still there on a subconscious level.”

“Makes sense. You seem very experienced with this.”

Now it was Cassandra’s turn to blush bright as a tomato. “Well, I wouldn’t say I’ve been overly promiscuous, but I’ll admit that I have done my share of messing around. I’ve been tested since my last encounter though. But if you’re worried or want to see proof, I’ll get tested again.”

Elsa shook her head “no it’s fine. I trust you. How many?”

“Nine. Does that bother you?”

“Not really, we weren’t together and you were free to do as you please. I won’t hold the past against you. As long as there’s no one else.”

“I’d never cheat on you.”

“I know.” Elsa smiled softly “So… I guess that makes me lucky ten?”

“Babe, you’ve  _ always _ been a ten.” Cassandra laughed at their joke “Added bonus, it’s a good thing your heat is due to correspond with Spring Break… if it didn’t I’m not sure I could get away with it, but you’ll have me all week long…” she purred happily.

“Yeah, and we’ll have the house to myself. Did you know that your friends and my roommates had a bet going on us?”

“I’m not surprised by this at all.”

“Yeah, I guess they bet Anna and Aurora with a road trip to New York.”

Cassandra chuckled “This keeps getting better and better. A whole week home alone with you? How ever will I manage?”

“I’m sure we will think of something.” Elsa grinned “thank you for talking with me about this. I’m still nervous, but I’m not scared anymore.”


	19. Chapter 19

Cassandra and Elsa went on a Costco run to stock up for Spring Break. Cassandra had absolutely no intention of leaving the house all week. By the end of their shopping trip it looked like they were stockpiling enough food to last through the apocalypse. 

“Wow, you guys really went all out didn’t you?” Anna snorted. She sat on the counter, inspecting the mountain of food Cassandra and Elsa were hauling in from their Lyft. This amount of food would  _ not _ fit on Cass’s motorcycle.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re so very funny.” Elsa rolled her eyes “can you go out and help bring something in or make yourself useful, Anna?”

“Only if I get to help myself to some of it later.”

“Ugh, we can figure that out later. Please help? We’re still getting charged for each minute he has to wait.”

Anna stuck out her tongue but jumped off the counter and headed out to help.

The trio managed to empty the trunk of groceries in just another load each, it helped that Cassandra could carry twice as much as the others.

“So, when are you guys heading out?”

“Mm, tomorrow, early morning. Moana’s rented the SUV, it’s a freaking boat! And Merida and Mulan are covering the Air BnB. It’s gonna be so much fun!! All Aurora and I gotta do is bring the party! Whooooo!”

“I’m glad you all get along so well, even if the bet was made at our expense.” Cassandra chuckled as she pulled out things that needed to be refrigerated and Elsa put them away. She had a very particular method to how she organized the refrigerator. 

“Yeah, they’re pretty cool.” Anna nodded, opening a bag of chocolate candy.

“Hey! Those are my M&Ms!” Elsa pouted. 

“Dues for helping you carry your stuff in. And for helping you through your issues with emotional constipation. Fair is fair!”

“Fine…” Elsa conceded, grabbing the jar of pickles and tucking them away. 

Cassandra couldn’t help but poke the bear “so, what was Elsa like without me? Was she sad and mopey?” She winked at her girlfriend who was looking absolutely appalled.

“Ugh, she was the  _ worst! _ ”

“I was not!” Elsa huffed indignantly.

“Elsa, there was a period of time when the store was out of ice cream!”

Elsa pursed her lips but her sour face melted away when Cassandra came up behind her and hugged her close. 

“If it makes you feel any better, I was a wreck too. I actually managed to punch a divet in my punching bag. We all cope in our own ways.”

Elsa spun around to face her, burying her forehead against Cassandra’s neck.

“Ugh, I mean I know I was like the captain of your ship and all but do you have to be so damn cute? I’m glad I can get away for a little while.” Anna smirked and dug her hand in for another portion of candy. “So why do you have so much chocolate anyway? You’ve got at least 5 pounds here! I mean, I know that everything is bigger in Costco but this is a lot, even for you, Elsa. It’s like you’re stockpiling for your…” Anna’s eyes went wide and her mouth hung agape as reality hit her. An M&M fell out of her mouth and skittered across the floor. “YOU TWO ARE GONNA FUCK! Oh my god! FINALLLYYYY! I can’t believe it!”

“Jesus, Anna! Do you have to announce it to the entire neighborhood?!?” Elsa hissed.

“I’m sorry, I just… this is a big deal! My older sister is finally gonna give up her V card! I seriously thought you were gonna be the next 40 year old virgin or something.”

“Wow, I never realized you thought so highly of me.” Elsa deadpanned “Cass, don’t let go of me otherwise I might pound my sister into oblivion.”

Cassandra nodded but she was having a very hard time refraining from laughing at the sibling banter. 

“Well, Cass… I’m glad it’s you.”

“Uh, thanks?”

“No I mean, I’ll admit I was a little anti-Cass for a while just because Piney McGee was driving me nuts for like, ever. But once I got to know you better, you’re actually really cool. You’re everything I ever hoped for my sister. I officially give you the Anna Arens stamp of approval and totally give you the green light to date.”

Cassandra smiled at the redhead “Aww thanks, Anna, I’m so glad I finally have your permission two months later. It was just the validation I was looking for.” Her voice was sweet as honey and dripping with sarcasm. 

“And while I am totally all for you rocking her world like there’s no tomorrow, I swear to god… if I come back an aunt I will hunt you down! There’s no place you can hide!”

“Elsa, please hold me back before I put your sister in a basketball hoop like a high chair and leave her hanging there.”

Elsa grinned and hugged her tight around the waist “it’s not as much fun when it’s at your expense, huh?”

Cassandra chuckled and kissed the top of Elsa’s head, nuzzling against her and drinking in her scents. 

Anna grinned and grabbed another handful of M&Ms and darted away before Elsa or Cass decided to make good on their threats. 

Elsa rolled her eyes “God help whoever she ends up with.”

Cassandra laughed “eh, she’s not that bad. At least she has a helluva personality, things will never be boring.”

Elsa nodded “true enough. We should finish with the groceries.”

“There’s nothing else that needs to be refrigerated. The rest can wait. I just want to hold you for a bit.” Cassandra murmured. She reached into her pocket and withdrew her phone, turning on her music. The song was slow and romantic, a soft voice sang to a hauntingly beautiful instrumental accompaniment.

_ I can feel you breathe _

_ Hear your heartbeat _

_ I love the sound, I'm hearing it loud _

_ I don't wanna sleep _

_ If I'm dreaming, I'll miss tonight _

As the song progressed, Cassandra pulled Elsa’s hands up onto her shoulders, her own hands settled on Elsa’s slim waist, and she started to dance slowly around the kitchen. 

“I don’t dance.”

“You’re doing fine, it’s just us, no one is looking or judging.” Cassandra murmured, her cheek rested against the side of Elsa’s head. She held Elsa close as their bodies swayed together. 

_ Be the light that you are _

_ Shine like fire in my heart _

_ Hold me tight in the dark _

_ Oh my God, I can feel it _

Cassandra was happy to feel Elsa relax as she listened to the lyrics, her head came to rest against her shoulder. As the final refrain built, she pulled back, glad to feel Elsa’s head tilting up as well, and her eyes found Elsa’s. She stared into those impossibly deep, crystal clear pools of ice, losing herself in them. All of her concerns and pressures of the world melted away and it was just them in their own quiet moment. She slowly bent her head down and closed the distance, kissing her soft and tender. A simple action, yet so full of meaning and feeling.

_ Ah, found the piece, the missing part _

_ Found the hands to heal these broken _

_ Bones, you're the key to start my heart _

_ It's beating loud so everybody knows... _

They didn’t pull apart when the song faded away, just content to kiss, swaying slowly in silence. 

But eventually they did need to breathe, Elsa leaned away first, tucking her head under Cassandra’s chin, listening to her strong heartbeat in her neck. “I never knew dancing in the kitchen could be so intimate. I didn’t realize you could be such a romantic.”

“What can I say? You bring it out in me.”

“What song was that?” Elsa spoke into the side of Cassandra's neck.

“ _ Everybody Knows _ by Idina Menzel. You heard of her?”

“No, but I wish I could sing like that…”

"Don't we all?" Cassandra murmured against Elsa's head.

“Thank you, Cass.”

“You’re welcome, Els.”

“Will you sleep with me tonight? Not sex, just… Holding me in my bed.”

Cassandra nodded, her cheek mussing up her hair “anything you want.”

When Elsa woke the next morning she felt two things. First was the weight of Cassandra’s arm draped across her waist. She found it comforting, she felt safe and protected. Second, she felt Cassandra’s partial erection poking her in the lower back. Curious, she pressed herself against it and wiggled slightly. She felt it start to swell a little more, which she found absolutely fascinating. 

“Mmmph…you’re just trying to make things difficult aren’t you?” Cassandra’s sleepy voice was muffled by the back of Elsa’s head and pillow. 

Elsa stopped moving, slightly embarrassed to have gotten caught “How so?”

“I can smell your approaching heat, your scent is shifting. And now you’re teasing me.” Cassandra murmured, her brain still waking up. 

“I’m sorry. Let me make you breakfast to make up for it.”

“It’s okay, you don’t need to apologize for being curious. But I won’t say no to food.”

Elsa nodded and tried to move, “you’re going to have to let go of me at some point if you want breakfast.”

“But you’re so comfy…” Cassandra groaned but moved her arm. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “I wonder if Aurora and Anna already left… I didn’t hear them. Then again, I haven’t slept that deeply in a while.”

Elsa sat up as well, pulling on Cassandra’s sweatshirt as she moved toward the door “mmm, this I remember.”

“Hey, what am I gonna wear now?” Cassandra pretended to pout as she stood up.

“I think you’re looking pretty fine as is.” Elsa gave her a once over. Somehow Cassandra made basketball shorts and a t-shirt look incredibly sexy. She blushed a little when she noticed the outline of Cassandra’s cock pressing against the fabric. She was wondering how it would all fit in her, even with Cass’s promise not to knot her. “So,  _ ahem _ , what would you like for breakfast?”

Cassandra followed Elsa’s line of sight and smirked when she saw what the blonde was looking at “mmm, scrambled eggs and toast? 5 eggs? I’ll be out in a minute.” She dropped to the floor and started doing push ups.

“Uh, what are you doing?”

“Well, someone got my engines all excited and now I have some energy to burn.”

Elsa watched for a moment, enamored by the way Cassandra’s muscles flexed with each movement. It was probably a sign of her oncoming heat, but she found the sight extremely arousing and her thighs clenched as she watched.

“You know, you getting aroused isn’t helping the situation” Cassandra chuckled, she moved her hands to a new position to work a new muscle group and started a new rep. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it that you’re so sexy.”

Cassandra paused and looked up as best she could “you think I’m sexy?”

Elsa nodded “Indeed. I’ll just, uh, leave you to it. Do you want coffee too?”

“Yes please.” She resumed her impromptu workout. 

The smells of cooking food soon lured Cass from the bedroom. She was feeling slightly calmer in her head, but she was still sporting an erection. The damn thing refused to go anywhere. Oh well, they had the place to themselves now. She made her way to the kitchen, casually leaning against the counter near the coffee, helping herself to a mug. Elsa already had her mug by the stove otherwise she would have poured her one, too.

She quite enjoyed seeing Elsa in her clothes, she looked cute in the baggy sweatshirt, though it did obstruct her view of that perky butt that had taunted her earlier that morning.

“You’re staring.”

“Yep.” Cassandra responded shamelessly, popping the ‘p’ to emphasize her point, taking a sip of her drink. She was so distracted that she didn’t hear Anna and Aurora approaching down the hallway. 

“Morning you two… OH MY GOD!” Anna broke the silence and Cassandra immediately knew what had happened. She spun around quickly to try to hide herself but the damage was already done. 

“Well, we just were stopping by to say bye and have a fun week, but it looks like you’ll be having  _ plenty  _ of fun, Elsa…” Aurora giggled.

“Yeah, well, as much as we’d love to stay and  _ poke _ fun at you, we gotta  _ bounce _ .” Anna snorted. 

“Very mature you two, now scram and leave us alone.” Elsa was brandishing a spatula at the younger girls. “Have fun, be safe, and say hi to the others for us please.”

“Laters!” The two giggled simultaneously and left the kitchen leaving nothing but peals of laughter in their wake. 

Cassandra waited until she heard the front door close before turning around, her face was still on fire. “So that just happened…guess they weren’t gone yet.”

“Well, now we know for certain.” Elsa chuckled, sliding Cassandra’s breakfast on a plate before starting on her meal. 


	20. NSFW Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Ahem... the heat is on... and this is some of the most explicit smut I have ever written... so... yep. Hope it's okay.

Elsa was enjoying the lazy morning, content to cuddle and watch Netflix on the couch. She was sitting between Cassandra’s legs, leaning back with her head nuzzled under her chin. Cassandra’s arms rested on her, draped over her shoulders, and she was absentmindedly drawing little patterns on the muscular forearms with her fingertips. Everything was perfect. Being here like this with Cass, it was better than anything she had ever dreamed. And the best part? It wasn’t a dream. It was real. She tilted her head and planted a soft kiss along Cassandra’s jaw. 

“Mmm, what was that for?”

“Do I need a reason to kiss my girlfriend? You just make me so happy!” Elsa smiled and cuddled in closer.

“Same here…”

Elsa turned on her side, burying her nose to the crook of Cassandra’s neck, breathing in her scent, her eyes closed. She pressed a tentative kiss to the pulsepoint. Then another. Then another. Not satisfied with the angle, she shifted her body around entirely so she was fully straddling Cassandra’s lap, giving herself full access to the alpha’s neck. She continued her kisses along her neck and jaw, her hands holding tight to her shoulders as the yearning within her body started to rise. She started to kiss her more desperately, sucking and nibbling at her jaw, her fingertips digging into her shoulders. She could feel Cassandra’s member starting to stiffen beneath her, which only fueled her desire. She pressed herself down on Cassandra’s lap, growing desperate to feel her pressing against her body, grinding her hips in slow, smooth rotations.

Cassandra could smell Elsa’s scent getting stronger as her heat set in. She took Elsa’s wrists, gently pushing her away and holding her still, her steely eyes locked on her face. “Elsa, I know you asked me to help you through this but now that it’s here, I need you to tell me that this is what you really want. Please, tell me before your mind is compromised... I assure you, I want this, I just need to know that I’m not taking advantage of you while you don’t have control of yourself.”

Elsa nodded “I am thinking clearly and I want this, I want to share this with you.”

Cassandra nodded and released Elsa’s hands, which quickly wrapped themselves over her shoulders again, then grabbed Elsa by the back of her thighs and stood up, lifting the blonde and holding her to her chest while she carried her to the bedroom.

Elsa gasped as she felt Cassandra lower her onto the bed. She wiggled excitedly and bit her bottom lip as she watched Cass leaning down above her, her strong calloused hands gently clutching her jaw, looking at her with awe and adoration. She reached up and pulled Cassandra in for a kiss. The careful timidness from earlier was gone, replaced with lust, desire, and passion as their lips crashed together. Her lips parted instantly when she felt Cassandra’s tongue slide across her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She gasped when she felt their breath mingle, their tongues dancing together. Her long pale fingers looped into Cass’s dark curls, holding their faces together. She whimpered, the sound lost in Cassandra’s mouth. She wanted to feel Cassandra’s weight on her, she missed the feeling of her cock pressed against her inner thigh. She extended her leg, hooking it around Cass’s lower back, pulling her closer.

Cassandra eagerly obliged, pressing her hips down, gently grinding their hips together. Even through their clothes she could feel Elsa’s warmth against her. Her head was swimming with Elsa’s scent, but she fought to maintain control of her own mind. This wasn’t about her pleasure, this was all about satisfying Elsa’s needs. Which she would still enjoy immensely. She stood up, earning a very displeased whine from the blonde. She grinned down at her as she pulled her shirt off and tossed it aside.

Elsa watched, gazing at Cassandra’s naked torso. She looked like a marble statue, her chiseled chest muscles and firm breasts on full display, a vision of absolute perfection. _And oh god..._ She had a six pack and a well defined V that suggestively pointed downward. She sat up and started to fiddle with the sweatshirt.

“Wait, allow me.” Cassandra stilled her frantic movements, carefully pulling the sweatshirt over her head. Her shirt came next. Elsa paused, feeling self conscious for a moment but the look on Cassandra’s face quickly eased her worries. She went to remove Elsa’s glasses but her hand was stopped.

“No… I want to see you.” Elsa pleaded, “Kiss me, Cass. Let me feel your body.”

“Mmm… of course.” Cassandra smiled, gazing at her with heavily lidded eyes. She leaned forward and resumed kissing, allowing their naked torsos to press together, her hips resumed their gentle grind. 

Elsa groaned when their skin came together. It felt like her body was alight and Cassandra’s skin was both the water to sooth the burn and the flame itself. She felt muscular arms looping under her shoulders, holding her tight, pressing their skin even closer. She loved the feeling of their breasts pressed together. She wanted to feel more of it. “Cass, please.”

“Please what, Mi’lady?”

“My breasts… Please…” Elsa gasped, her ability to form coherent sentences long gone. 

“Mmmm… if you insist.” Cassandra purred and started kissing down Elsa’s body until her lips met the soft mound of her right breast. Her hand was busy giving attention to the other, gently massaging the perfect handful. She sighed as her tongue flicked across the pink pebbled skin. 

“Nnnngh… that feels… more… please more…” Elsa demanded, arching her back and pressing her chest upwards. She looped her fingers into Cass’s hair again, tugging gently.

Cassandra grinned at Elsa’s eagerness. She licked and kissed the nipple, her tongue swirling across her target before pulling it into her mouth, sucking firmly. 

Elsa squirmed. She was absolutely loving the sensations and wanted more “God, yes…” she tried to encourage her lover. She rotated and bucked her hips as Cassandra grinded against her, desperately searching for that friction between her legs that she desired.

Cassandra continued sucking a moment longer before pulling off with a soft pop. She blew some air across the wet, sensitive skin, earning a loud sigh from the blonde. She grinned and repeated that pattern a few more times before switching her attention to the other side. Her free hand trailed little patterns across Elsa’s stomach, eager to touch every available part of the soft skin. 

Elsa lifted her hips when she felt Cassandra’s fingers ghost over the band of her pajama bottoms. She squirmed, trying to wiggle out of sleeping pants, which was impossible with Cassandra standing between her legs. Fortunately the dark haired woman quickly picked up on what she was trying to do and her strong fingers looped into the elastic band, pulling the pants down and off, leaving her in nothing but her underwear.

Once Elsa was nearly naked, Cassandra kissed, sucked, nibbled, and licked her way down Elsa’s body, dropping to her knees before her as she continued to worship that flawless body. She pointedly skipped over her tantalizing core and kissed along her thigh down to the knee, then switched to the other leg.

Elsa’s eyes were shut tight as she revelled in the sensations that Cassandra was giving her, but she was growing impatient with need. She no longer _wanted_ Cassandra between her legs, she _needed_ her there. Her body felt like it was going to implode with need.

Cassandra remained on her knees and took Elsa by the hips, pulling her to the edge of the bed, draping her long legs over her shoulders so that she was finally facing the object of her desire. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the apex of her thighs. The scent of her arousal and need hit her like a freight train, almost overwhelming her control, her mouth watered in anticipation. Her cock was beyond hard by now and was straining painfully against her shorts. She quickly pulled off her bottoms to alleviate the pressure, sighing with relief and got back to the task at hand.

“Cass!” Elsa exclaimed loudly when she felt Cassandra’s warm breath against her core. “Fuck… Please stop teasing me!”

Cassandra grinned to herself, looping her fingers into the sides of Elsa’s panties and pulling them off, tossing them away. Her eyes rolled back a little at the sight of Elsa’s dripping core. Her soft lips were glistening and she could almost feel the heat radiating from between her legs. She eagerly leaned forward and licked a long stripe along the length of her warmth. Elsa’s soft pale curls tickled her nose.

“Fuck yes!” Elsa hissed when she felt Cassandra’s tongue sliding across her core. It felt amazing, but it seemed that the more Cassandra gave, the more desperate she became. Her body was aching for even more. She felt empty. Her inner walls were clenching, wanting to have something inside of her. 

Cassandra lapped at Elsa like she would never drink another thing in her life. Her tongue eagerly worshipped at the altar between Elsa’s legs like it was her new religion. She alternated between giving attention to her clit and swirling around her entrance. Each action that earned a sultry moan or a leg twitch helped Cass better understand what Elsa liked best and she focused on that area. After a few minutes she started to press a finger inside, trying to get her accustomed to having something inside her. “Is this okay?”

“God yes, please continue!” Elsa moaned out, thankful to finally have something inside of her.

Cassandra pressed her finger in further, revelling in the feeling of those hot silky walls tightening around her finger, inviting her in further. Her tongue continued its work on Elsa’s clit.

Elsa squirmed and bucked against Cassandra’s face, gasping and moaning at every lick, every suck, the way her finger pressed against her inner walls. It felt better than anything she had ever imagined. Her mind was hazy with lust and desire. And somehow she wanted even more. “Fuck me. Now!” She demanded, her heat was completely driving her now.

Cassandra stood up, her chin still dripping with Elsa’s wetness as she quickly crossed the room to her bag, grabbing a handful of condoms, not wanting to waste time. Plus, a little planning ahead never hurt. She practically ran back to the bed, ripping open a package and covering herself. “You ready, Elsa?”

Elsa took Cassandra’s absence as an opportunity to grab a pillow for her head. She squirmed and spread her legs wide when her girlfriend returned “Yes! Nnnnngh. Please… fill me. I can’t wait any longer.”

Cassandra nodded and leaned forward over Elsa, resting her weight on her forearm. Her other hand gently slid the tip of her cock along the lips, her eyes rolling back at the intense warmth, even through the thin layer of latex. She kissed Elsa softly as she guided herself to her warm entrance. “I’ll go slow, tell me if it’s too much.”

Elsa nodded, kissing her back. She could taste herself on Cassandra’s lips, which she found incredibly arousing. She gasped and clung tight to Cassandra’s shoulders when she felt the head of the thick cock starting to press inside. 

Cassandra applied pressure as gently as possible, Elsa was incredibly tight and it took her a moment to finally gain entrance. She groaned at the tightness that enveloped the sensitive head of her member, squeezing it hard. She couldn’t remember feeling anything so wonderful before. She looked at the blonde beneath her, checking to see if she seemed to be in any pain. 

Elsa’s eyes screwed tight, her forehead creased deep and she was breathing hard. She was a little overwhelmed by the penetration. The initial pain slowly melted away and she opened her eyes and nodded, signalling that she was ready for more.

Cassandra waited patiently, frozen in place until Elsa’s expressions relaxed and she indicated that she was ready. She started rocking her hips forward, pressing herself in further inside with each forward thrust, all the while she was paying very close attention to Elsa’s reactions. Her free hand grasped Elsa’s thigh, pressing her leg down, knowing the wider angle would make it easier for her to take her cock. It took her several minutes to finally press herself in fully. She knew that if she controlled it, she could go several rounds before her knot formed and she wanted to get Elsa used to taking her full length. She paused again, waiting for Elsa to be accustomed to being filled.

Elsa _loved_ the feeling of having Cassandra inside her and she craved more. Cassandra filled so deliciously, stretching her in all the best ways. She wrapped her arms around Cassandra’s back, her fingertips digging into her skin. “I’m ready.”

Cassandra nodded and readjusted herself so that her forearms were under Elsa’s shoulders, her hands cradling Elsa’s head from underneath the pillow. She slowly rocked her hips back, pulling herself out a few inches before pushing forward again in one smooth movement.

Elsa’s back arched so quickly she felt several pops in her spine “Fuck!”

Cassandra froze “I’m so sorry! Was that too much?”

“Don’t you dare stop, Cassandra Knight!”

Cassandran smirked, she _liked_ bossy Elsa. And who was she to deny that request? She repeated the action, earning another sultry moan. It was music to her ears and she wanted to hear it all night long. She kept up her slow thrusts, loving the way Elsa’s tightness enveloped her fully, clenching around her with each forward motion. “Ready for more?”

Elsa nodded emphatically “Please, you feel so good.”

Cassandra grinned and eagerly picked up the pace. The sounds of their bodies coming together and the smell of sex in the air was driving her wild as she moved faster and faster, thrusting hard into Elsa’s heated core.

“Harder!” Elsa whined, her need was reaching a fever pitch. 

Cassandra stood up and grabbed Elsa by the back of her knees, holding her legs out wide as she set a relentless pace of fucking. Then she would slow her quick movements and give slow yet forceful thrusts, almost pulling out entirely before shoving back in, all the way to the hilt. Then she’d switch back to the fast pace again. Regardless of the speed or strength, each forward push would cause the blonde to gasp or moan or cry out an expletive. It was all music to Cassandra’s ears, the most beautiful song ever composed. She angled her thrusts, searching for the rough patch on Elsa’s front wall that she knew would bring the most pleasure to her. 

“Oh my... FUCK!!” 

_There it was._

It didn’t take long before she felt Elsa’s walls tightening, her moans becoming more erratic and less coherent as she was nearing her peak. And Cassandra was desperate to get her there, bring her the release she needed to ease the ache of her heat.

Elsa clutched wildly at the sheets, her body thrashing as her pleasure was mounting to an all new level. She felt as if she were a balloon filled to the point of bursting, the pressure becoming unbearable. Elsa was practically sobbing out a long series of completely senseless babble. 

“That’s it, Elsa, come for me. Let it go.”

With one particularly forceful thrust to her g-spot, the balloon finally popped. “Cass-an-draaaaah!” She cried out as she tumbled over the edge. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled through her body, filling her with warmth, leaving her a satisfied and tingling mess, her desire finally satisfied. 

Cassandra gave a few more slow thrusts to help her ride out her orgasm but the tightening walls were pushing her dangerously close to her own climax. She pulled out, instantly missing the heat and pressure. In one fluid movement she pulled the condom off and started to quickly fuck herself with her hand, turning away from Elsa as she started to come undone. She was cursing herself for not grabbing a towel earlier, instead grabbing her shirt to aim at in an attempt to contain her mess. 

Once she had finished her own release, Cassandra collapsed on the bed next to Elsa. They were both breathing hard, their bodies sticky with sweat. Once she caught her breath again she turned on her side to face her, caressing Elsa’s jaw and neck with her fingertips. “Hey, beautiful.” She murmured, her voice deep and raspy. 

Elsa’s eyes fluttered, loving the gentle touches “Hey.”

“Let’s tuck you in, you should probably rest a bit. We have a few hours before your next wave in the cycle, and I could definitely go for a nap, too.” Cassandra grinned lazily, scooting up to the top of the bed. She was still hot and sticky, so she opted to sleep on top of the sheets. 

Elsa followed suit and tucked herself up against her body, happily letting Cassandra spoon her. She fell asleep quickly in the safe comfort of Cassandra’s embrace.


	21. NSFW Pt 2

Cassandra had never been more grateful for her athletic stamina because Elsa was absolutely insatiable. Probably from years of denying her heat. Not like she was complaining about it though. If all she did all break was eat, sleep, and fuck, well, it seemed like a pretty damn good deal to her. And she had to admit, she was enjoying this domestic lifestyle, lounging about in nothing but her boxers or watching Elsa wandering about in just her sweatshirt, which was just long enough to conceal but also offer little peekaboos at the right angle. It was perfect and she could definitely get used to this. 

As the week wore on, they started getting more creative with trying positions. No surface of the house was safe. A deep clean was definitely in order.

Cassandra was making dinner one evening, Elsa was sprawled out on the couch reading a book on quantum entanglement. Every now and then she would nod or even murmur some comment of agreement or disbelief. 

Cassandra was a surprisingly good cook, her training diet required it. Not only did she eat an insane amount of food, she needed healthy, well balanced meals with lots of protein, veggies, and carbs. It would be far too expensive to eat out like this at restaurants. So, cooking and Costco was her solution. She was carefully watching the risotto cooking while she poked the lemon garlic asparagus sautéing on the other burner. The salmon steaks sizzled happily in the oven. 

“Food will be ready in a minute, Elsa. Would you mind getting the plates?”

No response

“Elsa?” Cassandra looked up, but the couch was empty. 

No response.

“Okay, I guess I will then.” Cassandra huffed and reluctantly moved away from the stove. She reached up and grabbed down two plates, a shiny piece of foil on the top plate caught her eye. “What the hell?”

It looked like a pack of gum, the kind that came in sheets and you popped out the individual pieces. But it wasn’t gum. She looked closer and read the fine print, her eyes widening to nearly the size of the plates themselves. It was then that she noticed the piece of paper tucked under the pills. It contained one word, written in Elsa’s elegant cursive script. ‘ _Avalanche.’_

Cassandra had the stove and oven turned off and all the pans of food moved onto hotpads along the counter before she took her next breath. She was suddenly hungry for something other than salmon. She hurried up the stairs, practically tripping over herself as she went. 

She stumbled into Elsa’s bedroom and came to an abrupt halt at the sight that awaited her. Her girlfriend was lying naked on the bed, turned on her side so every inch of beautiful smooth skin was on display. Her head was propped up on her fist, and she was fixing Cassandra with the most sultry smoldering gaze that threatened to drop the athlete to her knees where she stood. Her glasses were sitting on the side table, which Cassandra knew meant that she was up for more creativity tonight. And she was more than willing to give it.

“Took you long enough…” her voice was deeper, full of lust and desire.

“I’m sorry, my Queen.”

“Mmm, Queen… That is quite a promotion from mi’lady…” Elsa sucked on her bottom lip as she thought for a moment. Her eyes lit up as an idea struck her. And clearly she was enjoying this little role play. “Tell me, how do you intend to make it up to your queen?”

Cassandra moved across the room, pulling her own clothes off as she walked. “I’ll do whatever she sees fit to please her.” She was grinning like an idiot. She had never thought she’d be into something like this but she was here for it.

“I want to try something.” Elsa sat up “you’ve been taking such good care of me, I feel like it is time I reciprocate. Sit down with your back against the headboard. Please.”

Cassandra blinked but did what she was told, settling in place. 

Elsa crawled up the bed and settled on Cass’s lap, feeling the semi-hard cock starting to press up against her warmth. She rubbed herself down a little as she pulled Cassandra in for a kiss, eager yet meaningful. She loved the way Cass’s strong hands held her hips, fingertips digging in slightly. She pulled away after a few minutes then began to trail kisses down the sculpted body underneath her. She gave Cass’s breasts the attention they deserved, alternating between firm wet kisses and gentle ghosting breaths, remembering what Cass had done to her. She grinned to herself as she heard the raven-haired woman panting quietly. She started kissing lower, tracing the firm muscles of her abs, her tongue danced between the ridges. If she had to pick a favorite physical attribute, this would be it. Especially the well defined V at the bottom of her abs that pointed her down to her current target. 

“Elsa, what are you… oh fuck.” Cassandra hissed, throwing her head back with a loud sigh. 

Elsa grinned, watching her closely, loving the reaction she earned when she swirled her tongue across the head of her cock. It was an interesting taste, not what she expected but not unpleasant either. Cassandra was meticulous about her hygiene. She kept up that motion, watching Cassandra slowly come apart at her touch. Strong fingers tangled in her blonde hair, tugging gently. She could taste herself from when she had sat on Cass’s lap earlier, and somehow that just spurred her on. She slowly sank her mouth down, taking in more of the thick shaft. 

Cassandra’s eyes were closed tight, just enjoying the sensation of Elsa’s tongue across the tip, but when she felt that hot mouth start to take her in she just about lost her control. She had to focus very hard on staying still and not let her hips thrust up, she didn’t want to risk hurting Elsa. She opened her eyes to watch, her heavily lidded gaze taking in the most beautiful sight of ruby red lips wrapped around her cock. Platinum blonde hair tickled her thigh as Elsa moved her head up and down. She was breathing hard, gasping in deep breaths every time Elsa plunged down. “Fuck yes…” she groaned as the blonde started to pick up the pace. She felt herself start to pulse and throb, her peak was hitting her unexpectedly fast. She tried to scoot away, but Elsa clutched her tight “Elsa, wait… stop… I’m… fuck…” she barely had time to twist her hips, pulling out before her orgasm hit her, spilling out on the blanket next to her.

Elsa jumped away, frozen as she watched “I’m so sorry! I got excited…”

Cassandra was panting hard as she came down from her high, a lazy grin spread across her face “Wow… that was…”

“Was it okay?”

“You think I had a reaction like that because it was ‘okay?’” Cassandra pulled Elsa against her body, holding close under her arm, rubbing her jaw ”How did you learn to do that?” 

“I don’t know… it just felt right.” Elsa blushed, nuzzling against her neck. She felt very proud of herself for making Cassandra feel so good. 

“Well it felt damn amazing.” Cassandra rubbed her cheek against her head “You never cease to amaze me.”

“Oh, honey, I’m just getting warmed up.”

Cassandra tilted her head to look at Elsa’s blue sapphire eyes. “So am I… so what would my queen want me to do with her now?”

“Sit back and enjoy.” Elsa smirked and shifted to straddle Cassandra’s lap again, grinding down as she kissed her again. 

Cassandra was surprised by Elsa’s forwardness. She knew it would take several minutes before she was ready to go again, but she did not mind the sweet touches and kisses. She loved the gentle, intimate touches just as much as actually having sex. Admittedly, doing anything with Elsa got her engines running. Eventually she started to feel herself harden again. “Mm… ready for action”

Elsa grinned and hopped off, settling on her hands and knees in front of Cass, wiggling her hips as she smirked over her shoulder.

Cassandra’s jaw dropped as she watched.

“See something you like?”

Cassandra was on her knees in an instant, diving behind her, holding her by the waist as her tongue licked a long strip along her core, savoring the flavor sensations on her tongue. It drove her brain crazy. She lapped at Elsa’s wetness a little longer before she leaned up and scooted forward. She pressed Elsa’s legs a little further apart and settled in between them, pressing her groin against the tantalizing warmth. She slid the tip of her cock against the soft lips, gathering some of her wetness and rubbing it along her shaft.

“Yes, please…” Elsa mewled, rocking her hips back.

“So eager, my Queen.” Cassandra grinned and gently pressed herself in. “Oh fuck…” she groaned, directly feeling the smooth silky walls for the first time. She took her time to enter, savoring the way Elsa’s walls pressed her, gripping her tight. As always she waited for Elsa’s permission to start moving, but once she had it, she went like a woman on a mission. She furiously bucked her hips, driving herself in as deep as she could, rutting into Elsa at a relentless pace. 

She was still feeling pretty sensitive from earlier and she felt her next climax starting to build. The thick knot at the base of her shaft was already starting to swell. She held off, eager to make sure Elsa was getting her satisfaction as well. The moans spilling out of the blonde’s mouth told her that she was already getting close. God she loved this position. It allowed her to go deep and control the angles of each thrust. She had been clutching Elsa’s sides to keep herself steady, but one hand made its way up to loop her fingers into Elsa’s hair, giving it a firm tug.

“Knot me! God... fuck… avalanche! Now please, Cassandra, give it to me!” Elsa cried out as she came.

Cassandra growled deep in her throat and kept up her rutting until she felt her climax approaching again. With a firm thrust, she pressed the thick knot inside, throwing her head back and all but howling with pleasure. Also to prevent herself from being tempted to bite down on Elsa’s shoulder. 

Elsa felt as if her body was being split open when she felt the knot enter her. It was impossibly big and she was certain that it wouldn’t fit but somehow she felt it slide into place. She cried out, gasping for breath at first as she felt Cassandra’s hot seed filling her. She was surprised to find that it was actually rather pleasurable once the pain dulled. She felt full and content, her inner walls clenching, milking every possible drop.

Once the knot was in place, their bodies were locked together and she started to spill her essence deep inside. Cassandra leaned forward, placing one hand on the bed the other on Elsa’s shoulder, holding herself up as she started to relax. “Are you feeling okay?” she murmured, kissing the shell of Elsa’s ear.

“Yeah, I am now. It was a little intense at first, but it feels good now.”

“Do you want to lie down? It will take a while for the knot to go away.” 

Elsa nodded and curled up next to Cassandra as best she could once they shifted to lay down on their sides. “Mmmm, this feels really nice now. I think I’m beginning to understand the appeal now.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hey, remember that little a-hole Hans? Yeah, he's still around.

Once Elsa’s heat passed, the new lovers spent the rest of the break sanitizing the public places in the house and hiding all evidence of their time together, lest they bring down the wrath of Anna. And by wrath, they knew it would be endless teasing and torment. They knew that they were already in for an earful as it was, they didn’t want to offer the redhead any more firepower to throw at them.

The rest of March flew by. Cassandra was busy with March Madness. Unsurprisingly, they made it to the Sweet Sixteen but they actually almost got knocked out in their match against New Orleans in the Elite Eight. Cassandra’s three point shot at the final buzzer put them up by a single point to claim the win.

Elsa was disappointed that the first two championship games had been away so she couldn’t cheer in person. But the Musketeers came over to the house and it turned out to be a good time. She had done some serious apologizing to the three alphas once she and Cassandra got together. They also had been hurt when they found out about what she had said to Cassandra. But things were better now and they welcomed her back into the fold. 

The Final Four match against Notre Dame was a home game and the school was wild, even though the game was on a Wednesday. Rapunzel pulled some serious strings thanks to her family’s wealth and connections and got 7 seats for the group. First row, center court. 

Rapunzel and Anna got white shirts for everyone that spelled out K-N-I-G-H-T-! though Merida had suggested they just paint their bodies. To her disappointment the group quickly voted against her idea in favor of the shirts. But they did paint their arms and faces with blue and silver. Elsa even got blue spray on hair dye for the occasion. 

They had some drinks at the house as they got ready and then made their way to the arena. Once inside they all got their wristbands to purchase alcohol, confirming Elsa’s suspicions that Anna did in fact have a fake ID. Anna was three months away from being 21, so calling her out on it seemed a little moot at this point. Beers in hand, the group of friends made their way to their seats. 

The game itself was just as exciting as the hype. Thanks to Cassandra’s lessons and reading ‘Basketball for Dummies,’ Elsa was able to understand what was going on now. She marveled at Cassandra’s focus and athleticism, which she was very aware of, but it was fun to watch up close. 

At halftime, Elsa made her way toward the restroom but a flash of auburn hair caught her eye.  _ Hans _ . She had been so wrapped up in everything good in her life that she had forgotten that the scum existed. Maybe it was her own prejudice and distrust, but something seemed fishy about his behavior. He seemed wary, looking around frequently as he wove through the crowds. Despite her better judgement, curiosity got the better of her and she followed him, keeping a safe distance. She saw him duck into a ‘service only’ stairwell and she followed suit, grabbing the door before it closed. She could hear voices from the landing above her. She recognized Hans’s voice but the man he was talking to was a mystery. 

“Progress?” Hans didn’t bother keeping his voice down.

“I think I’ve managed to get the formula right. I just need to run a few more tests.”

“Don’t worry, I can get you some girls. I have just the one in mind. I’ve still got a score to settle with Knight from that shit she pulled at the Halloween party at Delta Phi. Word on the street is she’s now officially with that little bitch Arens. It’s perfect.”

“I don’t care who it is. Just bring her.”

“Leave it to me.” 

Elsa’s blood ran cold and she slipped the door open and made her escape. She was trembling when she got back to the others. She tried to push down her fears and get back into the spirit of the game but her mind was still in that abandoned stairway.  _ What were they talking about? A formula? What were they making? And testing it on girls? How long had this been going on if their work was almost done? Who was the mystery man? _ All she knew was that she was in danger somehow. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t even hear the final buzzer. 

“Whoooooo!!!” Merida’s loud cheer pulled Elsa out of her thoughts. Elsa barely had time to look up at the scoreboard before the redhead took her by the shoulders and shook her excitedly “We won! We won! Whoooo, that’s your girl!” Merida paused her raucous celebration when she realized the blonde was unresponsive. “Elsa, are you okay?”

“Sorry, I’m fine.” Elsa blinked, this was not the time to discuss what she had heard “I’ll tell you guys later.”

Campus was a madhouse after the game. Elsa was sure to stick close to the others as they waited for Cassandra. They were discussing going to Waffle House when the athlete finally showed up and she took the opportunity to suggest they go back to the house. They were all incredibly confused but her serious tone of urgency convinced them. Honestly, once Cassandra was on board (which took no convincing at all) the rest fell into line. 

Once in the safety of the house, Elsa broke down and told them what she had overheard between Hans and the mystery man. Naturally they were all furious and a heated argument about what to do quickly broke out.

“Elsa, you have to go to the police!” Aurora was uncharacteristically agitated. 

“And what can they do? All I’ve got is a bit of a conversation I overheard. That’s not real evidence. They can’t do anything just based on a rumor! It’s my word versus his!” Elsa shot back and a heavy truth fell over the group. They sat in silence, there really was nothing they  _ could _ do.

Cassandra was livid, pacing around angrily, unable to form words. Elsa tried not to be affected by the aggressive pheromones she was inadvertently pumping out. “I’ll fucking kill him if he touches you.”

“Cass, I know you’re mad, but that’s not helping the situation.” Rapunzel tried to calm her friend.

Cassandra growled and resumed her pacing. 

“Well she’s not going anywhere without protection!” Anna put her foot down. 

“Yeah, we can be like, your escorts!” Merida piped in, excited to have some plan. Plus the thought of getting to punch Hans was rather appealing to her. 

“I can’t ask you guys to babysit me because of one douchebag!” Elsa protested. “You all have stuff to do.”

“You could get one of those Nanny Cams.” Aurora offered.

“How would that help?” Moana raised her eyebrow, not tracking the blonde’s logic.

“Well, if he did anything it would be evidence. They make them small enough to be easily concealed. Like a button.”

Mulan nodded “that makes sense but in order for it to be effective, Elsa would be in potentially serious danger, you know?”

Cassandra growled at that. She relaxed a little when Elsa wrapped around her. “But I’m not letting you out of my sight whenever I can help it.”

“Aye, me, too!” Merida chipped in. All the others nodded agreement. 

“They have a location sharing app!” Anna exclaimed, looking at her phone “Wow, that’s actually kinda creepy… but it’s good for whenever one of us isn’t around you.”

Elsa sighed “I’m really touched by everyone’s concern and support. Thank you… I’m not going to hide and live in fear. I won’t give him that power over me. But it will definitely make me feel safer having some sort of buddy system. And I’ll get one of those little cameras…”

“Already bought you a couple.” Rapunzel interrupted and held up her phone, showing the order confirmation. 

“You guys are the best.” Elsa smiled weakly, still incredibly uneasy but not as bad as earlier. The plan was far from perfect, but they had something at least. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, trying to find schools/places that fit into NCAA championship was hard... TY Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Princess and the Frog...


	23. Chapter 23

True to her word, Cassandra was with Elsa every moment she could. She had a week before the championship game against Dreamworks Academy. She planned a little trip for them that weekend. With everything going on, a mini-vacation seemed like a perfect way to escape from the madness. 

She picked up Elsa Saturday morning, glad the weather was nice. The sun shone and the roads were clear. A perfect day for a motorcycle ride out of the city. They hadn’t actually gone on a ride together, so Cassandra was particularly eager to share the experience with her girlfriend. She was grinning ear to ear when she knocked on the door to collect her girlfriend. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little disappointed that the wrong blonde answered the door.

“Hey Cass, Elsa will be down soon. Come on in.” Aurora smiled and stepped aside to let her in.

“Thanks Aurora. Any update?”

The blonde shook her head sadly. They had gone to campus security but just as expected the report was filed away without a second thought. Not even an investigation of the claims or a follow up. 

Since then, the group took things into their own hands, everyone keeping their eyes and ears open for any information related to Hans. He was clever and it seemed like he had other people doing his dirty work. But since they didn’t know who these people were or even what exactly the ‘dirty work’ was, there was little to go on. From an outside perspective, he looked as clean and innocent as could be. 

Cassandra sighed and put on a brave face. This weekend was just about her and Elsa. They could deal with whatever shit Hans was stirring up later. 

“Hey there!” Elsa smiled as she descended the stairs. She was wearing some dark jeans and a black leather riding jacket that Cassandra had bought for her. Her new helmet tucked under her arm, her backpack in the other hand. She stopped on the bottom step and waited for Cassandra to come over. It was the only time she was taller and she liked getting to kiss her on a level playing field. 

“Hey beautiful.” Cassandra happily obliged the kiss before wrapping an arm around Elsa’s shoulders. “You ready?”

Elsa nodded quickly “I’m excited and terrified at the same time. See you Sunday, Rory.”

“Okay you two! Have fun and be safe!” Aurora waved goodbye and locked the door behind them. 

Cassandra made sure Elsa’s helmet was adjusted properly before she put her own on and walked Elsa through a crash course on motorcycle safety. Mostly it was where to put her feet, how to lean into a turn and ‘hold on tight.’ If she needed a break, she was to tap three times on her right side. 

Her motorcycle was a classic Harley that she rebuilt as a way to relieve her stress in high school. Needless to say, Elsa was impressed by Cassandra’s hidden talent. Just when she thought she knew everything, Cass still managed to surprise her. 

Cassandra got on the bike first and waited for Elsa to get on and settled before she kicked the bike to life and took off down the streets of Boston. 

Once they got going, Elsa discovered that she loved the feeling of riding with Cassandra. Being on the back of her motorcycle like this was much more intimate than driving together in a car. At first she had been nervous, she felt exposed without the protection and security a car provided. But the wind whipping around them was freeing, she felt like she was flying. She pressed herself against Cassandra’s strong back as she watched the landscape go by. 

It wasn’t a long ride out of town, just over an hour to the rustic Air BnB cabin. Elsa thought that was the perfect amount of time for a maiden voyage. Any longer and her butt would have fallen asleep. She dismounted and pulled off her helmet with the biggest grin on her face. 

“I take it you enjoyed that?” Cassandra smirked and took off her own helmet

“It was  _ amazing! _ I’ll admit it was a little terrifying at first but I trust you to keep me safe.”

“Always.”

Elsa leaned over and kissed Cassandra’s cheek before going to fiddle with the combination lock box to get the keys. “Oh, this is cute! Better than the pictures!”

Cassandra came in carrying the saddlebags she had packed with stuff for the weekend, closing and locking the door behind her. “Very nice.” She nodded appreciatively. “Uh oh, there’s only one bed… whatever will we do?” She feigned shock and innocence, though Elsa knew her well enough to almost feel the sarcasm lacing her words.

“Guess you’re sleeping on the couch.” Elsa deadpanned. 

“That’s just mean.” Cassandra tossed the bags on the bed. 

“You started it.” Elsa grinned and wrapped herself around Cassandra, pulling her in for a heated kiss. Unpacking could wait.

Cassandra eagerly obliged, holding Elsa close, her fingers looped into her platinum blonde braid, gently tugging. She pulled away after a moment, moving her lips to ghost over Elsa’s ear, nibbling the outer shell “you know what I like to do after a good ride?”

Elsa’s eyes fluttered. She had never thought her ears were a particularly sensitive area, but something about feeling Cassandra’s breath and the gentle brush of her lips drove her absolutely mad. Her thoughts instantly became hazy. “Uh huh? What’s that?”

“A hot shower to relax.”

Elsa just nodded and grabbed Cassandra’s hand and started pulling her to the bathroom. Clothing started falling off along the way. 

Cassandra was more than a little shocked by Elsa’s enthusiasm. She really had meant an innocent shower with maybe a shoulder massage, but if Elsa wanted more, she wasn’t going to stop at just a massage. 

They didn’t even make it into the shower. Cassandra set Elsa on the counter and decided to ‘thoroughly massage her sore muscles.’ First with her hands, then with her tongue. Then with her cock. By the end of it, Elsa was a panting mess clinging to Cassandra’s shoulders to keep upright.

“This is what I really wanted to do. The sex was definitely an added bonus though.” Cassandra grinned, pressing her strong fingers against Elsa’s scalp, working the shampoo into the ridiculously thick hair. 

Elsa groaned and leaned her head against her hand on the tile wall. Cassandra’s touch was like heaven and she felt like putty. She never knew that having someone else wash her hair and body could be so sensual. “Mmm… You’ll hear no complaints here.”

Cassandra smiled, she loved taking care of Elsa like this. The big things. The small things. Things that Elsa didn’t need but she wanted to give her anyway. She would do anything for this woman. She closed her eyes, lost in the moment. She dropped her hands from Elsa’s hair, earning a displeased sound. 

Elsa pressed herself back against Cassandra’s body, she loved the feel of their wet skin sliding together. She leaned her head back against the crook of Cassandra’s neck, droplets of water tickling her nose as she smelled the alphas scent. Something was off, Cassandra didn’t smell like herself. There was a bitterness to her.  _ Was she nervous?  _ She instantly opened her eyes and turned to face her. “Cass? What’s wrong?”

Cassandra stared into those impossibly deep pools of ice. She reached up and cupped Elsa’s jaw. “Nothing is wrong… I just realized something.”

Elsa quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head but didn’t speak. 

“I love you, Elsa Arens.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Non-con elements, mentions of rape, kidnapping, PTSD, some physical violence and mental abuse, assault and threat of sexual violence.
> 
> If you choose to skip this chapter, I will post a very brief summary of this chapter at the beginning of ch25 so you get an idea of what happened without the details.

**Elsa [7:55pm] -** ‘Hey babe, I’m just leaving the lab now. I’m coming straight home and you are gonna give me the back rub of the century.’

 **Cassandra [7:55pm] -** ‘I’ve got the oils and my hands are ready! And are you sure this shouldn’t be the other way around? I am a NCAA champion after all!’

 **Elsa [7:56pm] -** ‘You’re the best. And don’t worry, I’ll happily return the favor, Miss Humble MVP.’

 **Cassandra [7:56pm] -** ‘That’s right I am! Straight home, the same route, no detours, got it?’

 **Elsa [7:56pm] -** ‘Yes ma’am! I got the Nanny Cam on, too.’

 **Cassandra [7:56pm] -** ‘Ok, I’ll see you in 7 minutes.’

 **Elsa [7:57pm] -** ‘You timed me?’

 **Cassandra [7:57pm] -** ‘Yep. And if you get here in under 7 and I’ll let you have your way with me later ;-)’

 **Elsa [7:57pm] -** ‘You’re such a nerd. If you don’t see me in 10, send the search party.’

 **Cassandra [7:57pm] -** ‘You got it, my Queen. I’m starting your timer now!’

Elsa grinned as she tucked her phone into her pocket. She turned off the lights and stepped out into the hallway, fiddling with the keys to lock the door. She had just managed to find the right key when she felt her head slammed forward, colliding hard with the door. A searing pain shot through her body and her vision swam. Then everything went black. 

Elsa’s eyes fluttered open as she regained consciousness. She immediately felt that she wasn’t wearing her glasses but even without them she could make out those stupid sideburns. She flinched and tried to get away but she quickly realized her hands were tied behind her back.

“Ah… you’re finally awake.” Hans was sitting in a chair close by, leaning forward, watching her. It made her skin crawl. 

“Where am I?” Elsa looked around, trying to get a sense of her bearings but her blurry vision did little. So she tried to use her other senses. The floor was cool, linoleum from the feel of it against her cheek. The lights were bright, fluorescents. A lab of some sort? Wait… that beeping. She recognized it. She was still in her optics lab! That meant Cassandra would be on her way... eventually. She didn’t know how long she had been out for. “Why did you bring me here?” She turned her body to face Hans, hoping that her Nanny Cam was still on and recording.

“Well with Knight clinging to you like shit on a pig, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get you away. So I brought the fun to you instead. It’s kind of poetic if you think about it. Her spouting off her crap about equality for omegas and acting like she’s better than other alphas because she doesn’t want to claim you. And yet, she’s just as possessive. Fucking hypocrite if you ask me.”

“Why are you doing this?” Elsa’s head was throbbing, a mix of her eyes being out of focus and having been struck unconscious. She struggled against her bonds but it was to no avail. She narrowed her eyes, trying to focus. From her few encounters with him, she knew that Hans was a narcissist who loved his own voice. This encounter was just further proving her hypothesis. If she could keep him talking, perhaps it would give Cassandra time to get to her. 

“Does it matter?” Hans sneered as he walked around her, circling her like a wolf. A cat playing with a mouse. Batting it around as it debated what to do next. It was cruel. “I wanted you to be awake for this… so you would know what happened and you’d have to tell her yourself.”

“Why me? Why Cassandra?”

“It’s simple. Knight pissed me off. She’s been a thorn in my side since middle school. You know she’s the reason I got sent away for high school? Yeah, ratted me out for ‘being too aggressive’ or some other bullshit.” he scoffed as he made little air quotes with his fingers. 

Elsa bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything. She could think of a number of reasons why he would have gotten shipped off. But provoking him was probably the worst thing she could do. She was glad he wasn’t trying to pump out any extra dominant pheromones. She was scared enough as it was. 

“Ever since that little stunt she pulled at the Halloween party, I knew she would do anything to protect you. So I figured that going after you would be the best revenge. Took a while to get there, but the best things are worth waiting for.”

“So what do you plan to do to me?” Elsa jerked her head toward the door that she heard squeak open. “Who is that?!”

“Oh, where are my manners? How rude of me… I totally forgot to introduce you to my pal Varian here. He’s got quite a knack for biochemistry, I’ll have you know. 

A man with a narrow face and messy dark hair with a random blue streak approached. Elsa could see that he held something in his hands but couldn’t tell what.

“Anyway, now that we’re all introduced… he developed a way to reverse the hormone blockers in heat suppressants…”

Elsa’s eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. 

“Ah, there’s that spark of understanding… it’s all coming together isn’t it?” Hans sneered “I for one cant wait to see Knight’s reaction when she finds out that her precious little omega was just begging for my cock. And me, being the generous alpha I am, happily obliging you.”

“You can’t do this! What you’re talking about… you would induce an omega into heat just for your own pleasure? That’s rape! It’s despicable! How can you even think that is okay to do to someone?!” Elsa’s voice was getting pitchy, desperate as she realized just how dire her situation was. _Please hurry, Cassandra._

“Well, it’s not if you’re asking for it.”

“We aren’t in a stable state of mind to give our consent during a heat and you know that!”

“A fact that I’m counting on, actually. If you go to the cops they’ll just say you were a little bitch in heat and are trying to use me as a scapegoat to hide your shame.”

“You won’t get away with this!”

“Oh, I already have.” His cruel lips twisted into a sneer. 

Elsa blinked, appalled by what he was suggesting. It twisted her stomach in knots and it took a lot of willpower not to gag. She couldn’t bear to look at him, so she turned her attention to the other man, trying to appeal to him. “And you! You’re going along with this?!”

Varian simply shrugged. “After years of being teased and ridiculed by those haughty omegas, told I’d never amount to anything… Well, look who’s laughing now. I finally found a way to get even. Now any alpha or beta can take whatever omega they want, when they want.” Varian stepped forward, opening what sounded like a pill case “Now this should be the right ratio. But only testing and observation will tell… You’re a scientist, you understand, right? Now open up.”

Elsa felt hands on her shoulders and she immediately started thrashing around as best she could, kicking and struggling against them. She would not go down without a fight but when she felt a knee firmly on her back, holding her down, she knew she was all but done for. She pressed her face against the floor, trying not to give them access to her mouth. She heard the door fly open, followed by the most vicious snarl she had ever heard. _Cassandra was there._ Elsa could feel the rage rolling off her. From her position she couldn’t see anything but she quickly felt the pressure on her back leave and heard several hard hits that sounded like Hans was being used as a punching bag. 

Campus Police showed up moments later, dragging Varian, who they apprehended while he tried to flee. 

Elsa felt the duct tape holding her wrists being cut and suddenly Cassandra’s strong arms wrapped around her, holding her close. She clung to the alpha like she was the only thing keeping her from sinking into the abyss, sobbing into her shoulder, trying to bury herself in her scent. Neither woman spoke for several minutes, just taking solace in each other’s embrace. Eventually the cops had to take their statements and Elsa was taken to the hospital to be examined and treated for her injuries. Cassandra never left her side until she was ushered away by the doctors.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you skipped Ch24, in summary Hans jumped Elsa as she was leaving her lab one night and knocked her out. He revealed that Varian had invented a pill that would induce heat in an omega. They intended to use it on Elsa to test if it worked before selling and distributing around campus. Cassandra arrived in time to kick Hans’ ass a bit before the cops showed up. The beginning of Ch25 goes through some of the fallout.

Thanks to the recorded video Elsa managed to get from the attack, both Hans and Varian were sentenced to prison for the development of the heat inducing pills and the intent to sell the drugs, among many other charges. Additionally, other members of their fraternity were implicated in similar crimes pertaining to the distribution of illegal substances, and the fraternity was immediately disbanded. 

While no amount of money would pay for the trauma Elsa had endured, the lawsuit about the way the situation had been handled, or more specifically not handled, was settled out of court and paid out in her favor. Her lawyers had told her that she could get more by going through with the case, but she did not want to have to relive the experience any more than she had to. The money was more than enough and she just wanted to move forward.

The university offered Elsa an honorary degree and excused her from the final weeks of classes and finals, using her current grades as final course grade. She declined the offer, with the exception of her final capstone, she couldn’t bring herself to go back into that lab. Going to class was one thing she could focus on, one bit of normalcy. Sitting around at home alone was not what she needed.

“I can’t believe we’re officially graduates!” Cassandra wrapped her arms protectively around Elsa, guarding her from the masses of people sporting blue and silver graduation gowns. She knew that Elsa had made progress with her PTSD from her therapy sessions but there was still a long way to go.

Elsa smiled up at her “I know, so much has happened… I wouldn’t be here without you.” she took a moment to burrow into Cass’s neck to breathe her scent. It had a pretty instant calming effect on her.

Cassandra smiled softly “Yes, you would. You are so strong, Elsa. You can do anything you set your mind to. But I am happy to be able to be there with you along the way.”

Elsa nodded “I could say the same for you.”

“Then it seems we are in good company.” Cassandra smiled. “Come on, let’s get back to the house and get ready for the celebration. The Moana texted me that they’re on their way to pick up the drinks.”

The graduation party was relatively quiet, everyone was content to just hang out and not make a big deal of it. They also knew that Elsa wasn’t in a spot to be around big crowds, so they opted for a small, picnic style backyard party together. 

Cassandra and Elsa worked the grill making burgers and hotdogs, then everyone sat around the fire pit laughing and sharing jokes and memories from their time at college, worrying about what came next. Or in Merida’s case, not worrying and taking it day by day. It was bittersweet for everyone. It was their last time together as their quirky little family, but they knew their friendship would endure for years to come.

Once the Musketeers left, Aurora and Anna went out for a little more action, leaving Elsa and Cassandra home to themselves. They laid on the couch relaxing in silence together. Elsa was laying on top of Cassandra, chest to chest, snuggling against her as the raven-haired woman held her close.

“Cassandra?”

“Mmm, yes love?” 

“Thank you.”

Cassandra pulled her head back to look at Elsa “For what?”

“For everything. I never thanked you for saving me that night. I just… so much was going on and it just…”

Cassandra smiled gently at her, cupping her jaw gently, rubbing soothing circles with her thumb. They hadn’t really talked about what happened that night. She wanted to give Elsa the time for her to process the ordeal and discuss it when she was ready. “Hey, don’t worry yourself about it. You went through an unimaginable ordeal. I don’t want you to worry about me.”

“Well, all the same… I wanted to thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And I’m glad the charges against you were dropped. You were only trying to protect me. But I will say you made a right mess of his face.”

“Believe me, he got off easy. If the cops hadn’t shown up I would have done much more. Probably for the best, though.”

“I suppose. I don’t want you getting in trouble for me.”

“I understand. I love you and I will do anything to keep you safe. But now he’s rotting in a cell and can’t hurt us or anyone else.” Cassandra drew her lips into a thin line, clenching her jaw tight. She hadn’t allowed herself to process her own feelings, she had been so worried about Elsa and trying to be strong for her. 

“And I love you for it.” Elsa hummed and snuggled against Cassandra’s neck for comfort. The pulsepoint was like a magnet, always calling to her. She could tell that Cassandra was nervous about something, she could smell it in her scent. She sat up a little, propping herself up on her elbows to look at Cassandra. She was patient, quietly waiting for her to speak.

“I’ve never felt more scared in my life,” she admitted quietly. Just the thought of what could have happened if she was just seconds later twisted her stomach in knots… She blinked, wicking away the hot tears that threatened to fall, clutching her girlfriend close, her free hand rubbing Elsa’s back. It was as much for her own benefit as Elsa’s, she found the physical touch soothing and reassuring. 

“Why were you scared?”

“I didn’t know where you were or if I’d get to you in time. I almost shut down, but I knew I would be no good to you if I did. I’m just thankful that we thought ahead to plan your routes.”

Elsa nodded “And I’m glad you were creeper enough to time how long it takes me to walk home.”

“When it comes to you, I’ll never take any chances. I want to keep you around as long as you’ll have me.” Cassandra smirked. She was glad that ‘feelings time’ seemed to be over for now. They still had a lot to unpack and discuss, but these small baby steps were progress for both of them. They were both notoriously bad at talking about their feelings. While she was glad that they had talked, she wanted to get back to their usual casual mood and relaxed banter.

Elsa grinned “Oh, is that so?”

“Very much so.” Cassandra sat up a little “That reminds me, I never gave you your graduation present…”

“I thought we agreed not to buy presents!” Elsa huffed.

“I didn’t buy anything.” Cassandra’s smug grin only spread. 

“Fine, where is it?” Elsa looked around.

“Here, let me up and I’ll get it.” Once Elsa complied, Cassandra sat up and pulled off her shirt, smirking at Elsa’s apparent confusion.

“I know we haven’t done  _ that _ in a while. I’m sorry I haven’t really been feeling up to it.”

Cassandra shook her head. “Look closer. See anything out of place?”

Elsa looked closer then it hit her. Cassandra was wearing a necklace of sorts, a chain dipping down into her sports bra. She had never seen her girlfriend wear jewelry before. She reached out and touched the chain, looking to Cassandra, who simply nodded. She tugged on the chain, it felt heavy. As she lifted it she saw that there was no pendant or charm on the chain. It was a key.

“Will you move in with me? We don’t have to stay here, but until we figure out what comes next?”

Elsa launched herself into Cassandra’s embrace, kissing her firmly, their first real intimate moment since the ordeal. “Of course I will! I would love to!” She kissed her a few moments longer before she pulled away. “Since we’re doing gifts that we were clearly not supposed to get one another…”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow and tilted her head “Oh, you sneaky little troublemaker!”

Elsa grinned and sauntered away, heading up to her room.

Cassandra followed her but stopped dead in her tracks when she got to Elsa’s room. The blonde was standing there with a framed picture. It was an image of them dancing together in the kitchen, both looking so happy and at peace. “How?”

“Anna took it. Rapunzel did some touch ups in Photoshop because we know Anna can’t take a picture that isn’t a selfie, but she tried. I thought it might be nice for our home together, wherever that ends up being.”

Cassandra crossed the floor and swept Elsa up into her arms, twirling her around over her head, before pulling her in for a kiss and setting her down. “That sounds perfect.”

Elsa leaned against her chest “Whatever comes next, we can tackle it together. I love you, Cassandra Knight.”

“And I love you, Elsa Arens. Always.”


	26. Epilogue

Elsa sighed as she stumbled through the front door after a long day at the office, kicking off her heels and dropping her purse on the entry table. “Cass? You home?” 

“In the kitchen!” Cassandra’s voice drifted down the hallway.

“Mmm… that smells good!” Elsa sniffed appreciatively, her mouth watering. She turned the corner and smiled to see Cassandra standing in front of the stove in just her boxers and a cooking apron. She leaned against the doorframe, eyes raking up and down the athletic body “I could get used to this view.”

Cassandra grinned and turned around “How was your day? Did you write some new code to take over the world?”

“Ha, not yet… but I’m close!” Elsa gave her best evil laugh.

“What was  _ that?! _ Are you constipated?”

“NO! That was my world dominion laugh!” Elsa huffed and swatted Cassandra’s shoulder. “Fine, I guess I’ll just have to save it for someone who appreciates my evil genius!” She spun on her heel and pretended to walk away.

“No, don’t go! I’m absolutely shaking in my bunny slippers.”

“You’re not wearing any slippers.”

“Because you were so terrifying that they went running for cover!”

Elsa rolled her eyes and leaned up to kiss her wife. “How was your day? Have fun playing with old stuff?”

“‘Old stuff?’ Those are priceless historical artifacts!” Cassandra huffed, pretending to be offended.

“You’re such a nerd.”

“Says the software engineer… a little hypocritical, don’t you think?” Cassandra grinned and turned back to the stove, sipping her beer as she stirred the pot of chili.

Elsa poured herself a glass of wine and sat down at the counter to watch. It was proven very early on in their relationship that Elsa was not to be allowed anywhere close to the kitchen. The time she tried to make toast, Cassandra had come running in with the fire extinguisher looking for the fire. 

“Something is on your mind…” Cassandra didn’t have to look anymore to know what look Elsa was giving her.

“Yeah, I was just thinking. We’ve been married three years and have made a really stable life for ourselves, things are great. And we’ve talked about kids… but maybe it’s time to revisit that?”

Cassandra paused and turned to face her wife. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Elsa winked “Perhaps it’s time for an avalanche…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it... Thank you for coming on this journey with our favorite dorks in love. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> As always, if there is anything you would like to see, I am more than happy to do a little one shot or scene and add it to the end of this work.
> 
> Thanks again, y'all are awesome.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not following any posting schedule to this one. If you want to keep up to date on new chapters, I suggest you click that there subscribe option so it notifies you!
> 
> Thanks and happy reading :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [After Graduation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26656444) by [SnowQueenOfMyHeart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowQueenOfMyHeart/pseuds/SnowQueenOfMyHeart)




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